The issue of establishing Gairsain as State capital rocked the State Assembly on the opening day of the Budget Session on Tuesday as Congress members raised pandemonium and demanded that Gairsain should be declared as the permanent State capital.
The Congress members marched to the well of the House as soon as Governor Krishan Kant Paul started his address at 11 am. The marshals surrounded the agitated Congress MLAs who raised vociferous slogans in favour of Gairsain being made as State capital.
As the Congress MLAs were in the well of the House, the Leader of Opposition Indira Hridayesh kept standing at her seat and raised slogans in favour of Gairsain being declared capital of Uttarakhand.
Deputy leader of Congress Legislature party Karan Mahara, Qazi Nizamuddin, Harish Dhami, Manoj Rawat and Adesh Chauhan were most vociferous among the Congress MLAs.
The treasury benches meanwhile kept quiet during the address of the governor. Interestingly, independent MLA Pritam Singh Panwar who is considered as one of the most ardent supporters of Gairsain as permanent capital of the state, remained seated at his place. Congress MLA Manoj Rawat went to him and requested him to join the opposition members in the well of the house but he refused the offer. After the address of the Governor which lasted for about an hour, the house was adjourned for the lunch break.
Outside the house, the Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat termed the action of Congress members to disrupt the house as unfortunate and a mere gimmick. He said that Congress party has ruled the State for a period of ten years during which it did nothing for Gairsain. The CM said that the Congress leaders have no moral right to raise the issue of Gairsain.
The Parliamentary Affairs minister Prakash Pant also brushed aside of the agitation of Congress and blamed them for playing politics on the issue of Gairsain. He said that the state government is determined to develop Gairsain as a modern township and develop all infrastructural facilities here.
Talking to the media persons senior Congress leader and former speaker of the assembly, Govind Singh Kunjwal said that the Congress party is in favour of Gairsain being declared the permanent state capital. He said that there is nothing for Gairsain in the address of Governor.
Terming the declaration of setting up a mini secretariat at Gairsain as an attempt of the BJP government to take credit Kunjwal said that the government order for mini secretariat was released in the year 2015 during the term of the Congress Government.
Later when the House met in the evening, the members held condolence in memory of Tharali MLA Magan Lal Shah who had expired earlier this year.