Chhattisgarh assembly adjourned amid protests

RAIPUR - The Chhattisgarh assembly was rocked by protests leading to its adjournment for the second consecutive day Wednesday as opposition demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Raman Singh for “cheating” the state’s farmers.

After the house assembled at 11 a.m., opposition Congress members raised slogans against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government for not fulfilling its poll promise of giving a bonus of Rs.270 per quintal to paddy farmers together with the procurement price.

The legislators also accused the ruling BJP of not fulfilling its other promises to farmers and causing them to commit suicides.

Speaker Dharamlal Kaushik adjourned the house for 15 minutes amid vociferous slogan shouting by the opposition members. The house met at 12 noon, and business was transacted for 40 minutes amid bedlam, before the house was adjourned for the day.

The Congress attack was led by Leader of Opposition Ravindra Choubey and former minister Mohammed Akbar. It was countered occasionally by senior minister Brijmohan Agrawal, who referred to the 2G spectrum scam to hit back at the Congress.

The Congress, which has 39 legislators in the 90-member assembly, has announced it would not allow the house to transact any business for the entire winter session till Dec 10.

The house witnessed similar scenes Tuesday. The speaker then suspended 34 Congress legislators and two BSP members for the day as they continued to stall proceedings and demanded Raman Singh’s resignation over cases of abduction and killing of children across the state.