BSP boycotts UP House for day

The main opposition party in the Uttar Pradesh state assembly, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), on Friday announced to boycott the House proceedings for the entire day following statement against the party by state parliamentary affairs minister Azam Khan.

The BSP members also boycotted the reply of chief minister Akhilesh Yadav to the Governor’s address.

Leader of the Opposition in the assembly and BSP member Swami Prasad Maurya led the party members out of the House after he had some heated discussion with Khan when adjournment notices were being taken up by speaker Mata Prasad Pandey.

Demanding immediate payment of the dues of the cane farmers which is around Rs 4,000 crore, Mr Maurya in his adjournment notice criticised the Samajwadi Party government and even termed this regime as a goondo ki sarkar (government of  criminals).

The BSP leader statement irked Khan, who immediately responded and alleged that the previous BSP government had sold all the sugar mills to the mafias and now they are shedding crocodile tears.

At first the BSP members staged a noisy walkout over the reply and then when another issue of re-starting of the Chata Sugar mill in Agra division was raised by RLD member Chaudhury Satypal Singh, the BSP members returned to their seats. The verbal discussion between Maurya and Khan continued thereafter and both traded charges against each  other.