Bhopal: Demanding discussion on Bhopal gang rape and other crimes against women in the state through an adjournment motion, the Congress party kicked up a big row in the assembly on Wednesday, forcing Speaker to adjourn the House four times. Amid the din, the government transacted the business listed for the day. The House has been adjourned till Thursday.
As soon as the question hour commenced, Congress MLA Ramniwas Rawat requested the Speaker to initiate discussion on adjournment motion tabled by the party on the gang rape case. Govind Singh joined Rawat and soon Congress MLAs stormed the well of the House. Sharma said that a discussion can be allowed but through an adjournment motion. The Congress members, however, did not agree.
The Speaker then adjourned the House and met Congress MLAs in his chamber to thrash out the issue. However, the Congress contingent was not ready to budge an inch from its stand. To register their protest, the Congress MLAs even sat on a dharna at Gandhi statue in Vidhan Sabha premises for about half-an-hour.
The leader of opposition Ajay Singh said that the government was out to throttle democracy. “What problem do they (the government) have in allowing a discussion on crimes against women?” he demanded to know. Singh said that the party had submitted the adjournment motion on Tuesday and the Speaker has assured that it would be taken up for discussion. But now, he said, the Speaker had changed his stance.
He said, “We do not come to the House just to sit on our chairs. We are here to raise issues concerning the people.” Ajay Singh said how serious the government is about combating crime was evident by the fact that a murder accused was a member of the council of ministers.
Revenue minister Umashankar Gupta said that the government was sensitive to crimes against women and that was why it was framing a law that would make rape with young children punishable with death. He said that the bill would be tabled in the current session and crimes against women can be discussed along with the discussion on the bill. He said that the Congress wants to avoid discussion on farmers.
