From Our Correspondent
Guwahati: The infamous and barbaric molestation of a girl on a Guwahati street on the night of July 9 on Monday rocked the beginning hour Monsoon Session of Assam Assembly with the opposition All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF)
The legislators creating a din the House demanding an adjournment motion to facilitate discussion on deteriorating law and order situation in the state in the wake of such a shameful incident.
The Speaker Pranab Gogoi was then compelled to adjourn the proceeding for 15 hours to restore order in the House.
The Speaker first ordered suspension of all the 18 AIUDF legislators and called in marshals to evict the shouting legislators.
He, however, withdrew the suspension order at the instance of some of the members of the Treasury Bench.
When the House reassembled, the AIUDF members against started agitating and continued to disrupt proceedings for 30 minutes before they walked out in protest as the Chair did not heed to their demand for an adjournment motion.
Once the Question Hour of the House was over, opposition Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and the BJP members demanded an adjournment motion to discus law and order situation in the State.
The speaker admitted that the matter was of great public importance and he would allow a discussion in the later part of the session under different rules and procedures but the adjournment motion was not maintainable.
The Speaker asked the AGP, BJP members to speak on admissibility of an adjournment motion as demanded by them.
In response to arguments put forward by legislators of the AGP and BJP, parliamentary affairs minister Nilamoni Sen Deka said the motion was not maintainable as the matter was subjudice.
The Speaker then assured the opposition members that as an adjournment motion could not be granted, he would find another device to facilitate one hour discussion the House over the matter.
The Speaker said, “The matter (molestation of the girl) is definitely a matter of urgent public importance and it has tarnished the image of Assamese society. I have no word to condemn it and appealed to the government to take all steps so that such an incident never recurs.”
He pointed out that all the members of the House were equally concerned about the incident and the government was also taking steps to arrest the culprits.
“But as the matter was subjudice we have to find another device other than adjournment to discuss the matter in the House,” he added. (With inputs from IANS)
