The Hindu : `Reconvene House'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Mar 07, 2003

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`Reconvene House'

By Our Special Correspondent

LUCKNOW MARCH 6. The Opposition today urged the Uttar Pradesh Governor, Vishnu Kant Shastri, to reconvene the State Assembly to debate and vote on the Opposition-sponsored no-confidence motion against the Mayawati Government. "The Governor should not accept any recommendations for adjournment of the House sine die as all the proceedings conducted in the Assembly yesterday were totally irregular," the Opposition leaders said.

The Opposition had staged a "sit in" strike in the well of the Assembly after the House had been adjourned last evening. They called off the strike past midnight after the Speaker, Kesri Nath Tripathi, personally went across to appeal to them to end the agitation.

Today, the entire Opposition marched to the Raj Bhavan to submit a memorandum to the Governor to inform him of "the constitutional mockery that had taken place inside the House on Wednesday".

The memorandum alleged that while the Opposition had maintained complete order inside the Assembly, "unscrupulous elements in the treasury benches indulged in strong-arm tactics to force adjournments throughout the day... And those indulging in unruly behaviour included Ministers also".

"For the first time in the constitutional history of India, a motion of thanks to the Governor for his address was passed without any debate," it said. The memorandum said that no Opposition member had heard the presiding officer calling them for a debate on the no-confidence motion. But they were subsequently informed that the motion had been defeated.

In a near repeat of the drama in the Assembly, the Legislative Council was adjourned sine die today, a day ahead of schedule, amid unruly scenes.

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