Opposition stalls UP legislature over farmers' compensation

Lucknow, Aug 18 (UNI) The entire Opposition today stalled the proceedings of both the houses of the Uttar Pradesh Legislature on the opening day of the Monsoon Session over the issue of police firing on farmers at Greater Noida.

In the Assembly, the Samajwadi Party, Congress and Rashtriya Lok Dal legislators created pandemonium and raised anti-government slogans when Speaker Sukhdeo Rajbhar asked Leader of the Opposition Mulayam Singh Yadav to speak over the Greater Noida firing issue during the zero hour.

BJP Legislators staged a dharna in front of the Speaker's chamber alleging that they were not allowed to speak while Mr Yadav and Congress Legislature Party leader Pramod Tiwari made their statements over the issue.

BJP leader Hukum Singh and others sat on the dharna for quite some time and only withdrew their protest when Speaker and other party leaders assured them that they will be given enough time to speak tomorrow.

'' When we cannot speak on the farmers issue in the house then what it is the use of attending the session'', Mr Singh said.

Due to the Opposition ruckus, the Question Hour was suspended and the entire business was completed within 30 minutes after the house assembled at 1220 hrs following an adjournment at 1105 hrs.

The Opposition members raised slogans demanding resignation of the Mayawati Government on moral grounds for police firing on the farmers. They stood on the reporters table and even threw papers and other articles towards the Chair. The security personnal had a hard time to control the members who tried to push themselves towards the speaker.

At 1220 hrs when the House reassembled after the adjournment, the Speaker took up obituary reference on the death of some former members. Soon after that noisy scenes were witnessed again as the Opposition wanted to speak on the issue while the government said they could do so only after the agenda of the day was over.

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