There was unprecedented protest and the main Opposition Congress legislators, who went on a “dharna” in the Assembly corridor on Tuesday, did not allow Madhya Pradesh Assembly Speaker Ishwardas Rohani to even enter the House and shortly after the Question Hour it was amidst noisy scenes that the Madhya Pradesh Assembly proceedings were adjourned till Wednesday. The protest was against the Speaker’s ruling on Monday rejecting the adjournment motions moved separately by many Congress MLAs to take up for discussion the issue of corruption linked with illegal mining and the patronage allegedly being given to two business houses that have come under the income-tax scanner.
When it was time for the House to Assemble for the morning session, the Congress MLAs, led by Leader of the Opposition Ajay Singh, sat in protest outside the Speaker’s chamber, blocking him from entering the House. After chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan came to the Speaker’s chamber, the agitated Congress MLAs were called inside to resolve the issue. The Congress legislators were in no mood to relent and announced that they will join the Assembly proceedings only after their adjournment motion on corruption is taken up by the House.
While the Congress MLAs were sitting on dharna, the Question Hour was conducted by Mr Gyan Singh, the BJP MLA from Bandhavgarh. After the House was adjourned, chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said “democracy has been shamed” and described it as a black day.