The four-day Uttar Pradesh Assembly session, beginning on Monday will give a gruelling time to the Samajwadi government in general and chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, in particular.
A showdown between the SP and BJP now seems imminent in the Assembly over the recent Muzaffarnagar riots. While the BJP will blame the state government for allowing violence on the majority community, the ruling party will hit back at the BJP for communalising the atmosphere with provocative speeches at the maha panchayat.
The four MLAs against whom cases have been registered in the Muzaffarnagar incident — Hukum Singh, Sangeet Som, Suresh Rana and Kunwar Bhartendu — will remain present in the Assembly to give their side of the story.
“If given a chance, I will not only challenge the government to prove the allegations against me but will also show them the micro and tell the House how the government committed lapses that intensified the riots,” BJP MLA Sangeet Som told mediapersons.
The Congress, BSP and RLD will also attack the state government for its failure to protect innocent people during the riots. “We will attack the government with all our might because the lapses it has committed in western UP are unpardonable,” said CLP leader Pradeep Mathur.
Though the BSP did not reveal its strategy for the Assembly session, sources said that the party which is also the main Opposition force in the House, will not allow the House to function and will demand the resignation of the chief minister.
“And this also means that we will not allow the government to rush through its business while the House is in a state of disorder. If the government does so, we will challenge the House proceedings at the appropriate forum,” said a senior BSP MLA.