BJP MLA suspended in Assam Assembly

Guwahati, Feb 4 (PTI) BJP MLA Prasanta Phukan was todaysuspended from the Assam Assembly till the end of the BudgetSession on February eight for his alleged indecent behaviourinside the House.

As soon as the House assembled for the day, theopposition led by AGP continued with their demand for theadjournment of the Assembly to discuss alleged scams,corruption as well as law and order situation.

The BJP MLA from Dibrugarh constituency joining thechorus played cymbals inside the House.

As the ruling party members vehemently opposed theplaying of the musical instrument saying it was against thedecorum of the House.

The Speaker tried to bring order in the House but whenthe unruly scene continued he adjourned it for one hour.

After the House resumed functioning, the Speakersuspended Phukan till February eight.

As the noisy situation continued, Rai again adjourned theHouse for 25 minutes, but the situation could not becontrolled even after the second adjournment.

Later talking to reporters outside the Assembly, Phukansaid he had played the cymbal to drive home the seriousness oftheir demand to discuss the multi-crore rupees scam in the NCHills Autonomous Council.

"I was not suspended when I was playing the cymbals butwas done so after the adjournment. On the advice of the rulingparty, the speaker announced my suspension after the Housereassembled after the adjournment," Phukan said.

Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) leader and former ChiefMinister, Prafulla Kumar Mahanta holding the Speaker''s actionas "unconstitutional", said Rai had acted in a partisan mannerand as a member of the ruling Congress.

AGP President Chandra Mohan Patowary said as per the''Rules of Conduct of the Assembly'' there was no mention ofcymbals being barred from use inside the House.

The opposition had stalled the Assembly for the pastthree days of the ongoing session to get their demandsaccepted.

Among other businesses, the Supplementary Demands forGrants is yet to pass making the salary payment to governmentemployees uncertain from March onwards, government spokesmanHimanta Biswa Sarma had said yesterday.