The Uttar Pradesh Assembly’s monsoon session got off to a rocky start on Monday with the Samajwadi Party demanding a discussion on Manipur on the grounds that it had led to a feeling of insecurity amongst all women in the country.
While the women legislators of the SP shouted the government down, party chief Akhilesh Yadav said, “The misbehaviour with women is shameful. Under the BJP, women are humiliated every day. The Manipur incident has brought worldwide shame to the country”.
Yadav also took a jibe at Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. “As a BJP CM you have many constraints, but we expect you to speak like a true yogi on the issue,” he said.
The members of the Upper House also gave a letter to the chairperson asking for a vote of censure to be passed against the government. It also said that a delegation of the House must go to Manipur to display solidarity with the affected families and also for fact-finding.
“The incident with the Kuki women…has shamed the whole humanity and spoiled the image of the country in the world,” read the notice. “To ensure that such incidents are not repeated, it is essential to condemn them in this House,” the note further said.
Meanwhile, the minister for industrial development, Nand Gopal Nandi said that the opposition’s frustration was visible. “We are ready to discuss all issues. The opposition knows its time is up. They have no real issues to discuss”, said Nandi.
Minister for parliamentary affairs Suresh Khanna, meanwhile, said that since UP had become a “role model” in law and order, the opposition was creating unnecessary ruckus.
Speaker Satish Mahana tried to pacify the members by saying that an incident pertaining to another state could not be taken up by the state legislature, but this failed to satisfy the opposition.
At first suspended for thirty minutes, the day’s proceedings ultimately had to be ended amidst the uproar.
