The agitated opposition Congress members on Friday disrupted the proceedings in the Rajasthan assembly almost for the entire day strongly protesting a satirical reference to former Prime Minister late Indira Gandhi by state social justice and empowerment minister Avinash Gehlot.

The issue that cropped up suddenly grew up to an extent that slogan shouting dharna and intermittently repeated adjournments prevailed through out the day that culminated in suspension of 6 Congress members for the rest of the budget session.

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The trouble erupted in the House during the Question Hour when Minister Gehlot while replying a question by Rafeeq Khan (Congress) quipped -“….under previous Congress regimes schemes were launched in the name of your (Opposition’s) Dadi (Grandma) Indira Gandhi ; what was the fate (status) of those…”.

This evoked strong protests from the Opposition benches as most of the members led by the party state president Govind Singh Dotasara trooped into the well raising slogans against the Minister’s utterance – demanding apology from the latter. Dotasara retorted “What Dadi”. Is it the decorum of the House”

Dotasara climbed on the podium close to the bench of the Speaker  and the Secretary urging the Chair to expunge the Minister’s remark.

However, his demand remained unheard as the members from the treasury benches also retaliated angrily moving along the front row in their block in the well to counter the opposition’s bid. At a point in time, three Ministers stood up to defend the cabinet colleague Gehlot.

Sensing the moods in the House, Speaker Vasudev Devnani adjourned the House for half an hour.

After adjournment, Speaker Devnani summoned leaders from the treasury and the opposition block, in his Chamber for talks to diffuse the situation. However, deadlock could not be broken as Speaker did not give word for expunging the minister’s remarks. Devnani could just assure to look into the matter to check the text if recording.

Therefore, trouble prevailed on the reassembly after half an hour, the unrelenting Opposition members continued slogan chanting in the well. Chairman Sandeep Sharma’s bid of pacifying the members did not work. This forced the Chair to order another adjournment till 1400hrs.

By the time the house sat on second reassembly  at 1400hrs, situation remained unchanged as the opposition remained unrelenting on their demand and stance in the well and the treasury block stressed for action against some of the protesting members.

This caused another adjournment until 1600hrs.

As House resumed again, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Joga Ram Patel and Chief whip Jogeshwar Garg made submission on behalf of the government.

Patel said “The house was smoothly discharging Question Hour business, however, Congress state president Govind Singh Dotasara unduly took exception to Minister Gehlot’s remark.

The minister said “Aapki Dadi”,  neither it is unparliamentary phase nor to insult, disregard the late leader, then why all this undue disruption should have been caused, Patel said.

Chief Whip Garg said-“The members from the treasury benches all have made unanimous view that action must be taken against those who unduly caused disruptions today.

Garg said that Dotasara’s and some other Congress members climbed up podium to reach very close to the  Speaker in a worrisome manner.

He said that when Speaker Devnani summoned (in Chamber) Dotasara he reached there he was agitated and angry. That is why demand duly appropriate action against guilty ones.

Then Chief Whip moved formal motion against six members-Dotasara, Amin Kagdi, Ramkesh Meena, Hakam Ali, Jakir Hossain, Sanjay Kumar Jatav for their suspension from House for the remaining period of the budget session.

The motion was adopted by the House by voice vote. Then the Speaker Devnani adjourned the House till 1100hrs on Monday.

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