Guwahati, Feb 5: Chaos and disorder marked the inaugural day of the Assam Legislative Assembly’s budget session as Opposition lawmakers staged a walkout after disrupting Governor Gulab Chand Kataria’s opening address in the House on Monday.
Kataria had to cut short his speech to just a couple of minutes as the Opposition MLAs shouted slogans and displayed placards against various issues, including the imposition of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, inflation and evictions, before interrupting his address and staging a walkout.
The bedlam continued even as Assembly Speaker Biswajit Daimary urged the legislators to exercise restraint when the Governor was delivering his speech.
The Opposition members thereafter continued to stage their protest outside the House, also disapproving the cases filed against Congress leaders during the Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra across the state recently.
The budget session, which will conclude on February 28, is expected to be a key platform for discussions and policy announcements.
Notably, state finance minister Ajanta Neog will present the state budget for the financial year 2024-25 on February 12.
Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had during a media conference here on Friday informed that a bill to end polygamy in the state would be introduced in the budget session of the Assembly even as Opposition parties had earlier termed the decision of the government to enact the law as “diversionary” and “communal”, especially at a time when suggestions on the UCC were being received by the Law Commission.
Besides, the Assam Tourism (Development and Registration) Bill, 2024, is set to be presented, along with a slew of new and amendment bills during the session.