No Question Hour, House adjourned twice Speaker rejects Cong demand for debate

OUR STAFF REPORTER Bhopal

The House witnessed uproarious scenes on Wednesday over the arrest of Congress MLA Kalpana Parulekar in a case related to morphed photograph of Lok Ayukta.

Congress members, demanding a debate on Kalpanas arrest, did not allow the House to conduct business. They demanded a debate by cancelling the Question Hour and Speaker Ishwardas Rohani had to adjourn the House proceedings twice for 15 minutes each. After arguments lasting for

two hours, the Speaker declined to conduct debate on the issue leading to the opposition entering the Well of the House and creating a huge uproar. The House was adjourned till Thursday.

In the beginning, the House proceedings began with MLA Arif Aqueel stating that a notice of breach of privilege has been given in the case of arrest of Parulekar and he demanded a debate in the House.

Parliamentary affairs minister Narottam Mishra expressed the inability to hold debate as the matter is sub judice. Mishra said the act of Parulekar has affected the dignity of the House and Congress party should not support a criminal. Deputy leader of opposition Rakesh Singh said that police have no right to take action inside the Assembly premises and only the Speaker can take action in this issue.

Singh said Assemblys Press room is also a part of the premises and whatever happens inside the premises comes under the jurisdiction of the speaker.

MLA Govind Singh said when cyber police could not find out as to where the photograph was morphed, why the arrest was made. Congress members said the matter is not sub judice as charge sheet has not been presented and there should be no problem in conducting debate on this issue. The Speaker, after hearing, both the parties, gave ruling that since the matter is sub judice and the arrest of MLA Kalpana Parulekar took place outside the Assembly premises, debate cannot be conducted and the matter should be considered close.

VIJAYVARGIYA SAYS MORE MLAS INVOLVED Industry minister Kailash Vijayvargiya, during arguments on the arrest of Parulekar, levelled sensational allegations on Congress MLAs. Vijayvargiya said he has come to know that some more MLAs are involved in this case.