Speaker allows adjournment motion over Khairlanji killings

Nagpur, Dec 4 (UNI) Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Speaker Babasaheb Kupekar today accepted 'as a special case' the opposition's adjournment motion on the recent killing of four members of a dalit family by villagers in Khairlanji in Bhandara district of Vidarbha region.

Mr Kupekar gave the ruling after Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh requested the Speaker to allow an 'immediate' discussion as a special case considering the seriousness of the issue.

Mr Kupekar said the House would discuss a condolence motion listed on the agenda for the day before taking up the adjournment motion.

The House then took up the condolence motion.

Earlier, the Assembly had to be adjourned for 20 minutes on the first day of the winter session here amid an opposition uproar when Mr Kupekar said that although serious, the Khairlanji issue need not be discussed through an adjournment motion and a discussion could be held under Rule 101.

Opposition members trooped into the well of the House displaying banners condemning the Khairlanji killings and raising slogans against the government.

Leader of the Opposition Ramdas Kadam, leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) group in the House Gopinath Munde, Narsayya Adam and Ganpatrao Deshmukh contended that the issue was very serious and the House should suspend even the question hour to discuss it.

Mr Kadam, Mr. Munde, Mr. Adam and several others had given notice for an adjournment motion over the Khairlanji incident and wanted the question hour to be suspended under Rule 57.

Mr Kupekar said that he was not trying to shield the government and that he shared the concern shown by members from both sides of the House on the injustice on dalits, but this failed to satisfy the agitated opposition members, who also raised slogans against the Speaker. Mr Kupekar then adjourned the House for 20 minutes.

Mr Adam came into the House wearing a black shirt carrying slogans against the Khairlanji killings.

The proceedings of the winter session began with the recitation of 'Vande Mataram' in the House.

UNI AB ADG RL DS1422