Congress MLAs manhandled outside HP Assembly while protesting against Governor’s speech

They were protesting against omission of issues like inflation, unemployment and corruption in Covid management in the Governor’s address to the House on the opening day of the Budget session

Congress MLAs manhandled outside HP Assembly while protesting against Governor’s speech
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Bipin Bhardwaj

Congress MLAs were allegedly manhandled by security personnel and some BJP ministers outside the Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha in Shimla on Friday when they raised slogans against the Governor. They had earlier protested in the House against the Governor’s address on the opening day of the Budget session, pointing out that it made no mention of important issues like inflation and unemployment.

When the Governor, Bandaru Dattatreya, was addressing the House, CLP leader Mukesh Agnihotri stood up and said that the Governor’s address had made no mention of price rise, unemployment and other important issues. He was also joined by other Congress legislators.

According to reports, Dattatreya then abruptly ended his address, saying that the rest of his speech may be considered as ‘read’.

After this, while BJP MLAs left for the tea session, the Congress legislators sat outside a gate of the building from where Dattatreya was to leave. As the Governor approached his official vehicle, the Congress MLAs led by CLP leader Mukesh Agnihotri stood in his way and raised slogans.

Even as Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur looked on, security personnel swung into action and began to forcibly push away the Congress MLAs, with some ministers too jumping into the fray.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Bhardwaj alleged that the Governor was manhandled by the Congress MLAs, and moved a motion to suspend five Congress MLAs including Mukesh Agnihotri, Harsh Vardhan Chauhan, Sunder Singh Thakur, Satpal Raizada and Vinay Kumar.

All five Congress legislators were suspended for the entire session, which will conclude on March 20, said Speaker Vipin Parmar, claiming that the action was taken as per rules.

In a contradiction, CM Jai Ram Thakur said, “Governor’s ADC was manhandled by the CLP leader. This was against the traditions of Himachal assembly”.

Talking to mediapersons, Agnihotri said it was for the first time in the history of Himachal Vidhan Sabha that the Governor ran away after reading two pages of his address. “The address is a bundle of lies, with no mention of corruption in Covid management, unemployment, price rise and back-door entries,” said Agnihotri.


He said that the Governor did not read even half of the address and left within six-seven minutes.

“We were all manhandled. Even though we were just raising slogans and did not touch the Governor, CM or ministers, the police and BJP MLAs and ministers dragged and pushed us,” he alleged.

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