Congress stages walkout from Rajasthan Assembly

Jaipur, July 11: Opposition Congress members today staged a walkout from Rajasthan Assembly over the presence of BJP ex MLA Sanwar Lal Jat in the House as a Cabinet minister, saying Jat has taken oath as MP of Lok Sabha recently and his presence in the Assembly leads to a constitutional crisis.

The Congress members, on the first day of budget session today, alleged that the Raje government was facing a constitutional crisis as it had less than 12 Cabinet ministers and demanded that it should not be allowed to work.

As Speaker Kailash Meghwal took up a business in the House, the Leader of Opposition, Rameshwar Dudi, strongly objected that the BJP government does not have any existence in Rajasthan and facing the constitutional crisis as it had only less than 12 cabinet ministers under section 164 (4) of the Indian Constitution.

Because its one minister Sanwar Lal Jat had resigned from the Rajasthan House after being elected to the Lok Sabha from Ajmer on May 29, and the BJP government is short of one Minister, and hence it was the violation of the Indian Constitution's section 164 (1A), Dudi categorically said.

Even Jat had not legal sanctity to sit in the House as Raje's cabinet minister because he (Jat) already completed the maximum six months period of his ministership, Dudi said, adding if the ruling party wanted to carry Jat as the same minister it should have re-inducted him (Jat) and administered him the oath which it did not do.

Dudi and other Congress MLA Govind Singh Dotasara told the House that the ruling BJP government kept the Governor in dark and running the office "unconstitutionally".

Rejecting the Opposition Congress' demand, the Speaker said, "The government is very much in existence. There is no constitutional crisis... No one can be allowed to speak while the House paying obituary to departed leaders on its first day".

Meanwhile, Congress MLA Sukhram Vishnoi who has been on hunger strike over irregularities in famine declaration process, rushed to the well and began sit in on the well of the House demanding the ruling party's reply. After about 15 minutes of uproar, the Speaker assured Vishnoi that the ruling government heard his voice and it would be taken up properly, and he should return to his seat to maintain the dignity of the house.

Later senior congress member Pradhyuman Singh took him to his seat. As the Speaker took up the business, the Congress MLAs led by Dudi staged walkout alleging that the BJP government was in constitutional turmoil and should not be allowed to work.

However, within five minutes they returned to their seats during obituary references made by the the Speaker.

PTI