Published On : Wed, Dec 23rd, 2015

Council witnesses curious but high-voltage moments on last day

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Nagpur: The Legislative Council (Vidhan Parishad), apart from noisy scenes, witnessed a few interesting and dramatic events on the last day of Winter Session on Wednesday. Amid high-pitched uproar and exchange of hot words between the ruling and opposition benches, the Chairman Ram Raje Nimbalkar prorogued the House till the Budget Session.But interestingly, the House which commences its proceedings with rendition of ‘Vande Mataram’ and adjourns with National Anthem, was prorogued without rendering of National Anthem as the Chairman failed to call it. The House also got emptied after the adjournment. But later, the ruling party members met the Chairman and lodged a complaint in this regard.

Realising the mistake, the Chairman started the proceedings of the House, afresh. On the demand of Leader of the House Eknath Khadse, it was agreed that the ministers can make their statements. However, the Chairman ordered that the statements of ministers be tabled in the House. Amused by the happenings, the Leader of Opposition sought to know on what basis the proceedings of the session were started again. But the Chairman avoided the question and asserted that he did it in order to end the bitterness. To this assertion, the Ruling Party Leader Khadse, on the basis of record of the House, termed the action of Chairman as undemocratic. Charging the Chairman of neglecting the words of ruling party, the ministers started readying for rushing to the well of House. The Education Minister Vinod Tawde even marched to the well. At the same time, the National Anthem started playing. Notably, the Chief Minister is present during the proceedings when session ends but he was not present. Later the Chief Minister and Leader of the House termed the entire episode as undemocratic and decided to meet Governor and lodge complaint along with copy of recording of the proceedings.

No-confidence motion against Chairman:
Enraged by noisy scenes and ‘undemocratic’ actions, the Ruling Party raised question mark over working style of Chairman. Eknath Khadse and other ruling party members said that the Opposition members, taking the advantage of majority, stalled the proceedings of the House and the Chairman ‘helped’ them. When the Chief Minister was making statement on the demand of Opposition, the designated Chairman adjourned the House midway. The Opposition members had leveled corruption charges against five ministers but they were not given opportunities to make statements. All the norms were sidelined, stated Khadse and other members and added that the matter will be taken up with the Governor. The Ruling party was preparing to bring a no-confidence motion against the Chairman but the House was adjourned in a clever move till the Budget Session. “But we will bring the no-confidence motion at any cost in the coming days,” thundered Khadse.