Cong stages walkout as Raje presents state budget

Opposition Congress members on Monday staged a walkout from Assembly here when Speaker Kailash Meghwal rejected their demand of a statement from Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje over the "lathicharge" on protesting Youth Congress members last week here.

Rajasthan PCC chief Sachin Pilot, MLA Ashok Chandna were among the injured in the incident, according to the Congress Party.

Congress party members wanted a reply from Raje before the budget presentation which was not accepted by the Speaker, following which they walked out of the House.

Raje presented the budget in the absence of the Congress legislators.

As soon as the House assembled for the day, National People's Party MLA Kirodi Lal Meena requested the Speaker to resolve the deadlock between the Congress and the BJP on the issue of suspension of nine (eight Congress and one Independent) MLAs.

The nine MLAs were suspended from the rest of the budget session on March 3 for disrupting the House proceedings and not obeying the ruling of the Speaker while raising the issue (of lathicharge on Youth Congress members) in the House just before Chief Minister's reply on the Motion of Thanks to the address of Governor on March 3.

Senior Congress legislator Pradhyumn Singh said the incident of lathicharge on the Congress party members while they were protesting peacefully outside the Assembly building was unfortunate and the chief minister should give reply on the issue.

He demanded a high-level inquiry and positive attitude towards the suspended MLAs. He said when Congress raised the issue in the House, the Speaker got angry.

Singh said the matter could have been settled that day only. He said if the chief minister did not give a reply, Congress MLAs will have no option but to walk out of the House during the presentation of the budget which will be unfortunate.

Leader of Opposition Rameshwar Dudi also demanded a reply from the chief minister.