The opposition BJP staged a walkout on the first day of Himachal Pradesh Monsoon session on the deteriorating law and order situation in the state on Tuesday.

The BJP members walked out of the House in protest against not being allowed to discuss the adjournment motion brought under Rule 67 on the law and order situation in the state.

Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur raised the issue of law and order at the onset of the session stating that the opposition has given notice of adjournment motion under Rule 67 on this issue and the government should immediately stop all the work of the House and hold a discussion on the deteriorating law and order situation in the state.

Referring to the incident in Baddi, he said that two groups had a fight over money transaction, in which a youth was beaten to death, while two youths were admitted in the hospital.

“Such an incident has never happened in the state before and that the law and order has become a matter of concern for the state. The government is not serious about it leading to continuous deterioration of law and order,” he blamed.

Pointing out some past incidents he said that bullets are fired in the court premises and there has been an incident where a youth was brutally murdered.

“Today the drug mafia, mining mafia, contract mafia and forest mafia are fully active in the state, but the government is not serious about it. This can be gauged from the fact that the government has kept 25 police officers sitting without work in the police headquarters as they are on leave reserve. The government has deployed most of its police as pilots and escorts to protect MLAs and CPS,” he alleged, stating that the deteriorating law and order situation in the state should be discussed immediately in the House.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Harshvardhan Chauhan opposed the opposition’ adjournment motion saying that the BJP MLAs have already asked for a discussion on law and order under Rule 130, hence there is no justification for discussion on this issue under Rule 67.

He said that the government has no objection to the discussion on this issue as the session is very long and they are ready for discussion anytime.

Chauhan said that Rule 67 is for very emergencies and the incident that happened in Baddi is not so important that all the proceedings of the House should be postponed and it should be discussed.

He said that the opposition is raising this issue only to remain in the headlines.

MLA Randhir Sharma said that there has been a three-fold increase in criminal cases in the state and the government is not serious about law and order.

Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Pathania, while giving ruling on this issue, said that he will bring this matter for discussion later during the session and for now he is cancelling the notice of discussion brought by the opposition under Rule 67.

After this, the entire opposition stood up from their seats and started making noise. Later the entire opposition walked out of the House shouting slogans.

Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu said that the incident in Baddi was between two factions of the drug mafia and it is shameful for the opposition to bring up a discussion in the House on this incident related to the drug mafia.

He said that one of these gangs is linked to Haryana and there should be no discussion in the House on the death of people associated with the drug mafia as the House runs on high traditions and rules.

He said that there was a more serious issue as the state has suffered disaster due to monsoon, so there should be a discussion on it.

Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri, while commenting on the opposition bringing an adjournment motion on law and order, said that the opposition is bringing an adjournment motion on gang war, which is condemnable.

Taking a dig at the opposition, he said that the opposition is saddened by the fact that Congress has again got 40 MLAs.

He advised the opposition to introspect on its behavior and play the role of a constructive opposition.