GUWAHATI: The Monsoon Session of the Assam Legislative Assembly began on a stormy note on Monday with the Opposition Congress staging a walk-out after the Speaker, Hitendra Nath Goswami had refused to allow an adjournment motion on price rise issue.
Leader of Opposition Debabrata Saikia (of Congress) moved the Speaker moved the Chair for an adjournment motion to discuss the burning issue of steeping prices essential and other commodities in the state.
The Congress legislator pointed that the prices of all essential commodities had soared and urged the Speaker to facilitate a comprehensive discussion on the matter in the floor of the House, by adjourning other proceedings of the day.
However, the Speaker Goswami refused to allow the adjournment motion and asked the Congress legislators to address the issue through other permissible procedures. The refusal by the Speaker prompted the Congress legislators staged a walk-out in the House.
Deputy Leader of Opposition and senior Congress MLA Rakibul Hussain decried that the Speaker had questioned the Congress legislators who were on their feet to raise the issue, by remarking ‘who are you?’ gesturing to them.
Former three-time chief minister Tarun Gogoi termed the Speaker’s language as unfortunate and reminded that the Speaker, just as himself or any other Congress MLA, is an elected representative of the people.
Talking to the media outside the House later Saikia said, “We had followed all rules to move the adjournment motion. We have found it strange that the Speaker refused.”
Prices of essentials especially green vegetables, potato, onion, rice, sugar etc., have steeped of late in Assam especially after the recent waves of flood and the situation was stated to be worse in rural areas of the state.