Congress members on Thursday staged a walkout from the Himachal Pradesh assembly after they were denied an adjournment motion on the issue of protesting employees who are demanding the implementation of the old pension scheme.
As soon as the house convened on the sixth day of the ongoing budget session, Jagat Singh Negi tried to raise the issue by moving an adjournment motion but Speaker Vipin Singh Parmar denied the move.
The opposition members then moved into the well of the house and started raising slogans.
Parmar asked the opposition members to let the house function for Question Hour as the notice submitted by them was pending with him and he has sought a reply from the state government on the issue.
As the Congress members continued to create disruption during Question Hour, the Speaker said the notice submitted to him on 2 March by the Leader of Opposition Mukesh Agnihotri, members Jagat Singh Negi, Asha Kumar, Ram Lal Thakur, Inderdutt Lakhanpal and others under Rule 67 stands rejected.
This led to Congress members continuing their slogan raising and later staged walkout from the house.
Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur criticised Congress members for staging walkouts from the house and said it has become a norm for Congress members to walk out from the house.
“It is the opposition members’ right to protest but it is also their duty to transact the business of the house. But Agnihotri seems to have lost control over his party members as it is not united on various issues and he looks for assistance from CPM member Rakesh Singha,” he added.
He accused Congress members of instigating the protest and said the party-led government in Rajasthan had announced to restore the old pension. But keeping in mind the economic condition of the state, it is a big question as to how to implement it.
“The state government is concerned over the issue and has even constituted a committee under Chief Secretary to examine the entire issue,” he said.