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Opposition disrupts assembly for third consecutive day over Srikrishna report

The Maharashtra legislative assembly today witnessed disorderly scenes for the third consecutive day today, with Opposition members staging a walkout over the government not tabling the Srikrishna commission's report into the Bombay riots of 1992-93.

As soon as question hour was over and the speaker, Datta Nalawade, had taken up other issues during zero hour, Opposition members stood in the aisles and even moved into the well to disrupt the proceedings, all the while raising full-throated slogans demanding that the report be tabled in the House.

Later, Congress members also joined the melee, with Ashok Dhatrak, Babanrao Pachpute, R R Patil, Laxman Dhobale and others entering the well and squatting there, while Bashir Patel, Sohail Lokhandwala, Nawab Malik, Fayyaz Ahmed (all Samajwadi Party), Narsayya Adam (Communist Marxist Party) and others climbed on to the podium to sit near the speaker's table. Fayyaz Ahmed was seen beating the table near the secretary, while some members picked up some paper from the desk of the secretary and hurled them at the speaker's table.

Legislators from the Treasury benches then trooped to near the podium and argued with the agitating Opposition members to follow the speaker's ruling and return to their seats.

Leader of the Opposition in the House, Madhukar Pichad, dared the government to move the Srikrishna report in the House, before leading the walkout.

UNI

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