Yogi Adityanath passes resolution amid protests by Opposition, congratulates BJP for poll victories

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in the Assembly, in Lucknow on Monday. Express Photo

Amid Objections from the Opposition benches, Chief Minister Yogi Adtiyanath on Monday placed a resolution in the state Assembly, congratulating Prime Minister Narendra Modi for BJP’s victory in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh elections.

While the resolution was adopted, Congress members trooped into the Well, demanding that more significant issues of law and order be discussed. BSP and SP MLAs walked out, claiming that they do not wish to be part of the new tradition of introducing “badhai prastav”, even as Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Khanna said that the rule book allowed it.

Referring to the victory as “aitihasik vijay (historic victory)”, Adityanath introduced the resolution saying: “Loktantra ke parva mein bhagidari sunischit karate hue… swachcha loktantrik parampra mein… dono rajyon mein janata ne vijay dilayi hai… iske liye pradhan mantri Narendra Modi ko badhai (By participating in the festival of democracy, in true democratic tradition, the people have made BJP victorious in both states… congratulations to the PM on this victory).”

As he started to read the resolution — where he thanked people of both states — Congress Legislative Party leader Ajay Kumar Lallu trooped into the Well. He was followed by other party MLAs. While Congress leaders started raising slogans, BSP Legislative Party leader Lalji Verma requested Speaker Hriday Narain Dixit to allow discussion over the resolution.

As the Speaker did not accept his demand, BSP MLAs, followed by SP members, walked out, even as the resolution was adopted. Leader of Opposition Ram Govind Chaudhary said he does not wish to be part of any “nayi paripati (new tradition)” in the Assembly, referring to the “badhai prastav” moved by CM.

While congratulating the PM and BJP president Amit Shah, Adityanath said it was a victory of economic reforms brought in by the Centre in the last three-and-a-half years. He claimed the results showed there was a need to rise above negative politics and it would be better to move ahead with “rachnatmak soch (constructive thoughts)”. He went on to ask the Opposition to shun “negativity” and engage in positive thoughts if it wished to succeed. Maintaining that “jo jeet raha hai wahi Sikandar hai”, the CM said the country was now moving ahead towards a positive direction.

While BSP’s Lalji Verma pointed out that such resolutions cannot be moved all of a sudden when adjournment notices were being taken up, SP’s Chaudhary said: “the chief minister is happy because of more than the Prime Minister, he had a bigger role to play in the Gujarat victory”.

Claiming that that victory was the result of “ghor kalyug”, which has forced the chief priest of a prestigious mutt to take the place of a politician, Chaudhary — pointing towards Aditynath — said: “Yeh bhi Gujarat gaye they (He, too, had gone to Gujarat).”

He alleged that when leaders in Gujarat were not able to speak “enough lies”, Adityanath was “called from UP”. Describing the win as a “victory of lies over truth”, Chaudhary said that end of “kalyug” would take place in 2019 (Lok Sabha polls). Earlier, speaking on the issue of law and order, Chaudhary said that it was being alleged that the previous SP government had more than four CMs, but a similar problem is also being faced by the current regime.

“… if Yogi Adityanath was working alone as CM, then the situation would have been better… but the current government has nine-and-a-half CMs… Besides the CM, there are two deputies, then two powerful spokespersons, two leaders sitting outside Vidhan Sabha (referring to the BJP office in front of Vidhan Sabha) and two managing things from Delhi…”

As members asked who was the half CM, Chaudhary said the “remaining legislators”.

After the Assembly was adjourned for the day, Adityanath said the Gujarat victory is a lesson, especially for the Congress and those members of the Opposition, who were questioning the Gujarat model of development and had forgotten basic courtesy in politics and were using unparliamentary language. Targeting Congress, the CM said it had lost its stronghold of Himachal Pradesh. The people rejected “casteist” and divisive politics of Congress, he claimed.