Opposition walks out as speaker turns down motion to discuss pandemic

GUWAHATI: The opening day of the four-day monsoon session of state legislative assembly, which was held under strict Covid-19 protocol with 50% attendance, ended on a stormy note resulting into suspension of Congress MLA by speaker and a walkout by Congress and AIUDF after the speaker disallowed their adjournment motions to discuss the pandemic and its handling in the state.
Early in the day, Congress legislator from Mariani Rupjyoti Kurmi was marshalled out of the House on orders from speaker Hitendra Nath Goswami for creating a ruckus over Assam Accord’s Clause 6 report. The speaker suspended him for the question hour session of the day.
Soon after, the opposition Congress and AIUDF jointly moved for an adjournment motion on the pandemic. The state government said they are ready to discuss the matter if it was brought in the House through any other way but not as an adjournment motion and after the speaker disallowed the motion, the opposition staged a walkout.
Leader of the opposition, Debabrata Saikia of Congress, said the opposition wanted to discuss in details the impact of the pandemic on the state finances, which was recently stated by finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. Saikia added, “The cases in Assam are rising after the lockdown. Three districts of the Barak Valley are still under lockdown despite the Centre telling that there would be no more lockdown. Why are there such contradictory actions?”
AIUDF legislator Hafiz Bashir Ahmed said, “The impact of Covid-19 is not only on private life but also on the economy, public health, education, social sector and all other spheres of the state and so this matter needed to be discussed at length.”
But the speaker ruled, “A matter which cannot be raised through any other device should be raised through an adjournment motion. This session is only for four days and we have limited time. Considering these facts, I am disallowing the adjournment motion. I will allow it in the next three days but please bring it in by other device,” Goswami said, amid the ruckus from the opposition bench.