Himachal CM offers to show footage of Assembly's clash, Virbhadra joins protest

Shimla: Rejecting Congress MLAs' plea to revoke suspension of five legislators, including Leader of Opposition Mukesh Agnihotri, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said he was ready to make CCTV footage of the assembly's clash and manhandling of the Governor public.

The offer came in the morning after Congress MLAs decided to absent themselves from the House, held a protest and raised slogans against the government in the state assembly complex.

Later all the MLAs also joined the dharna which five MLAs had started outside the assembly ever since their suspension from the House by the speaker Vipin Parmar for their misconduct and manhandling of the Governor Bandaru Dattatreya on February 26.

The opposition has rather hardened the postures after former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh also reached the assembly first-time and joined the agitating members instead of attending the proceedings.

"Had I been Chief Minister and opposition behaved in the same manner, I would have resolved the crisis within 10 minutes. Chief Minister (Jai Ram Thakur) should have taken his advice in resolving the issue. You can't keep the opposition out of the House indefinitely especially when the Budget was likely to be presented in next two days," he said.

Chief Minister responded to Virbhadra Singh's offer saying "I don't want to add anything to what he has said. I respect him as senior politician and chief minister being such a long time but it's not necessary to follow his advice. I have my doubts how much his own party follows him."

He recalled how the BJP MLAs, who were protesting at the Ridge when Virbhadra Singh was Chief Minister, got lathicharge. " Police action was ordered against us," the Chief Minister said.

The conduct of the opposition is unpardonable. They have exceeded the limits of decency in the democratic functioning of the legislature.Better they should all go and apologise to the Governor for their act.

He said since the opposition MLAs are not ready to believe the genuineness of the video footage of the private channels and media, the CCTV footage of the state assembly, if rules, permit can be made public or screened in the House to show.