Congress members walk out of Maharashtra assembly

The Maharashtra legislative assembly on Wednesday witnessed uproarious scenes and a walkout by Congress members over the issue of purchase of onions by the government.

When the issue came up for discussion through a calling attention motion by R R Patil (Congress) and others, the Congress members wanted the government to purchase the onions. When Maharashtra Cooperation Minister Jaiprakash Mundada told them that the government had stopped purchasing onion since the NAFED was authorised to purchase them, they stood on their feet and started shouting slogans in favour of their demand.

All the Congress members entered the well and continued shouting. Anandrao Deokate and Manohar Patwari (both Congress) climbed the podium and put a handful onions on the table of the speaker.

Chief Minister Manohar Joshi, who was also given some onions, said that 80 per cent of the purchase of onions had been completed by NAFED. The government need not purchase them directly, he said.

However, the agitating members were not satisfied with the chief minister's reply and staged a walkout.

The assembly was also adjourned twice for 15 minutes each following uproarious scenes over the issue of the CRB scam.

The trouble, sparked off when Dilip Valse-Patil (Congress) raised a point of propriety, said Kirit Somaiya on Tuesday told reporters at a press conference that he would disclose the names of those involved in the CRB scam but did not do so even after the pressmen asked him repeatedly to disclose them.

Chief Minister Manohar Joshi had also stated that Somaiya had all the relevant information and he would disclose them at an appropriate time.

The opposition members rose on their feet and started shouting slogans which were countered by the treasury benches also with the same vigour.

Members of both sides rushed to the well and grouping near the podium, continued shouting slogans demanding a discussion on the CRB scam.

When the house reassembled for the third time, Nalawade ruled that the discussion on the CRB scam would not be allowed in the house as the issue did not come under jurisdiction of the house.

UNI