Gujarat Governor assures CLP, to verify House record of suspension

Gandhinagar, Mar 10 (UNI) Gujarat Governor Nawal Kishore Sharma today assured a delegation of Congress Legislature Party (CLP) that he would call necessary records of yesterday's proceedings of the Gujarat Assembly pertaining to suspension of six Congress MLAs for their ''unruly behaviour'' for the rest of the budget session.

After listening to the members of delegation, Mr Sharma assured them he would look into the matter and ensure that democratic traditions and constitutional provisions inside and outside the Legislative Assembly were protected.

The delegation, led by Leader of Opposition Arjun Modhwadia, submitted a memorandum to the state Governor and it demanded that the latter should call for audio and video tapes of the proceedings of the House and judge whose behaviour was unruly.

The delagation urged the Governor to call Speaker Mangaldas Patel and Chief Minister Narendra Modi to verify the factual position.

They argued that the House could suspend one for the repeated unruly behaviour, but the records would show that it was Urban Development Minister I K Jadeja, who told Congress MLA Paresh Dhanani: ''Taro Baap Dalal (your father is an agent/tout).'' The issue was raised during the Question Hour over plots of land, which had been distributed to people of nomadic tribes, were being usurped by the builders.

When Mr Dhanani and another Congress member Jagdish Thakor cited instances of the government favouring builders and land brokers at the cost of the poor, they said, Mr Modi gestured his colleagues to shout and told the Speaker: ''If you cannot control the House, better resign.'' Moreover, they said, the six Congress MLAs were suspended from the House by the Speaker Mangal Patel without following the proper procedures. Even after the Law Minister read out the names of the six MLAs, they said, the Speaker should have named the MLAs individually.

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