GUWAHATI, August 5: The Assam Assembly had to be adjourned for half an hour following noisy demands by the Opposition legislators for withdrawal of the Speaker’s use of the term “insurgents” when trying to pacify the MLAs on Thursday.
Assembly Speaker Biswajit Daimary had, following an uproar and abrupt behaviour of the legislators in the Assembly, said that “If we are not decent and respectful when we talk, then our behaviour is worse than any insurgent.”
Opposition leaders from Congress, Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha and Jakir Hussain Sikdar were vociferous when they protested against the use of the word ‘insurgent’ in the Assembly. The two legislators were thereafter expelled for some time.
“Such a comment by the Speaker of the Assam Legislative Assembly is unconstitutional, undemocratic and an insult to the decorum of the House,” Leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia said during the adjournment.
Several Opposition leaders, including Congress, All India United Democratic Front and other parties, demanded withdrawal of the Speaker’s statement (allegedly comparing the behaviour of the MLAs to insurgents) from the official proceedings of the House.
The noise and protests did not stop even after the resumption of the House.
However, after the Opposition leader’s demand for withdrawal of comment, the Speaker had to officially withdraw his statement and remove it from the records of the House proceedings.
“I might be wrong. The environment at times compels you to use such words. I promise, if I use it again, it shall be limited. I have withdrawn my words,” Daimary said.
This was the second day in a row when the House witnessed noisy scenes and had to be adjourned for some time.
On Wednesday, ruling and Opposition MLAs engaged in heated exchanges over the Mizoram border clash with Mizoram in the Assam Assembly on Wednesday, prompting the Speaker to adjourn the House for 40 minutes.
