Opposition pandemonium on UP Gov's address

Lucknow, Jan 18: The opposition in the Uttar Pradesh assemblytoday created pandemonium in the house forcing Governor T V Rajeswarleave the house without reading his address to the joint session of thestate legislature on the opening day of the winter session.

The Governor could only read out the first and the last line ofhis address and left with the customary ''Jai Hind'' soon after thehouse met at 1130 hrs.

Opposition BSP, BJP and RLD, which was supporting the governmentso far, raised slogans such as 'Rajyapal Vapas Jao' (Governor, Go Back)and 'Rajyapal Sach-Sach Bolo' (Governor read out the truth).

The opposition members were also holding protest banners BSPmembers wearing caps inscribed with slogans slamming the governmentover the Nithari killings wanted the Mulayam Singh Yadav government tobe dismissed on the issue.

Congress, which earlier today officially withdrawn its outsidesupport to the state government, however, did not raise slogans, andits members were seen standing at their benches.

Later, when the house assembled at 1300 hrs, speaker Mata PrasadPandey tried to read the speech, but BSP members staged a noisy walkoutafter tearing copies of the speech..

Speaking on the Governor's address, BJP member Hukum Singh saidactually Mr Rajeswar had not read out the speech out of protest againstthe Mulayam government.

However, his views were vehemently opposed State by ParliamentaryAffairs minister Mohd Azam Khan who noted it was a tradition that thegovernor reads the first and last line, if the house is not in orderduring his speech.

Meanwhile, Congress has moved an amendment in the Governor'sspeech with 11 points, recommending inclusion of Jungle Raj in thestate.

Later, the treasury bench tabled six bills in the house, whichwill be taken up for discussion and approval on January 24, the nextsitting of the house. The house is expected to take up voting on thethanks to the governor's address on January 25, which could also betreated as a confidence vote for the Mulayam government.

Earlier before the commencement of the house, the main oppositionBJP welcomed the Congress on the opposition benches by thumping tables.

The RLD, who also withdrew support from the government today, havealso been given separate seats in the house in the opposition benches.

UNI