Protest against ‘gag ordinance’ gets louder

The Congress MLAs staged a walkout from the House protesting against the Criminal Laws (Rajasthan Amendment)Ordinance calling it a ‘black law’ on the first day of the Assembly session on Monday.PCC chief Sachin Pilot, along with more than 50 leaders, was detained by the police while he was going to the governor’s house to submit a memorandum  against the ordinance. 

The proceedings of the House began with condolence messages to pay respects to the departed ministers and later when the Congress MLAs began raising slogans against the Bill which was tabled by home minister Gulab Chand Kataria, the session was briefly interrupted. The MLAs stormed into the well demanding the government to withdraw the Bill immediately. The argument took an ugly turn when the Opposition whip Govind Singh Dotasara, Congress party MLA Ramesh Meena had an altercation with parliamentary minister Rajendra Rathore over the Bill. The agitated MLAs walked out from the House and later the speaker Kailash Meghwal adjourned the House till Tuesday.

Disgruntled BJP MLA Ghanshyam Tiwari and NPP MLA Kirori Lal Meena also joined the Congress in opposing the Bill. Tiwari walked out of the Assembly twice when he was not allowed by the Speaker to raise a point of order.Talking to the scribes Tiwari termed the Bill as ‘black law’ saying, “I was against it. This law is undemocratic and reminds of Emergency. Also, it violates rights given to the common man under the constitution of India.”Another BJP MLA Narpat Singh Rajvi had recently shared his discontent over the Bill. 

The way things unraveled on the first day hints at a more intense confrontation between the Opposition and the ruling faction on Tuesday.

After the Bill was tabled, independent MLA Manik Chand Surana through a point of order opposed it saying that there was no prior sanction of the President over the Bill which was circulated among the members on Sunday. In a reply to Surana, home minister Kataria was took to defensive tactics to counter opposition. He said that the merits and demerits of the Bill would be discussed during the debate as per listed affairs and it would become a Law only after it will be passed by the House. 

Earlier, Congress legislators led by Leader of the Opposition Rameshwar Dudi, took out a protest march from the MLA quarters to the Assembly building with their mouths covered with black bands. The party MLAs wearing black strips, badges and carried placards assembled at  the residence of MLA Girraj Singh Malinga and from where there they headed towards the Assembly.“It clearly shows that the government has no respect for democracy and is working against the principles of democracy. Why there is a clause of punishment to media persons to publish news against the accused official?” Dudi asked. On the other hand, Pilot added that the Ordinance was promulgated as the chief minister feared that she might be in trouble due to corruption.

LOWDOWN ON PROCEEDINGS

ALTERCATION WITH POLICE

Congress whip Govind Singh Dotasara had an altercation with senior police officer Yogesh Goyal when the party legislators started to march towards the Assembly premise protesting against the Bill. The officer who reached the MLA’s house to take stock of how the protest was planned was badly rebuked by the leader who called him a BJP agent. He was so angry that he demanded the leader of opposition Dudi to take action against the police personnel.

PILOT & OTHERS DETAINED

Pilot and several party leaders were detained by the police soon after they took out a march against the state government’s criminal laws amendment Bill. After the Assembly session was adjourned for the day, Congress MLAs and leaders assembled at Jyoti Nagar tri junction in the city and from there Pilot led the march to Raj Bhawan to hand over a petition against the Criminal Laws (Rajasthan Amendment) Bill, 2017 to the Governor petitioning the President of India. Soon after the march began, the police detained Pilot and other Congress leaders and took them to the Bajaj Nagar police station. But soon they were released.

Other Bills tabled on Day-1

Taking along women

The Rajasthan Farmers’ Participation in Management of Irrigation Systems Bill (amendment) 2017 proposes to increase the women representation in the board of Water Users Associations. These associations formed under the farmers participation Act of 2000 are responsible for management of the available irrigation facilities. Till now only water users registered with the government were able to contest elections. 

Relieving cos from audit  

The Rajasthan State Electricity Distribution Management Responsibility (amendment) Bill, 2017 proposes to relieve electricity distribution licencee from transformer-level energy audit as its purpose is also covered under the Ujjwala Discom Assurance Yojna. However, the government wishes to withdraw the financial support being extended to the distribution licencee and the financial vehicles related to power transmission. 

Proposal to consolidate Laws on ‘offices of profit’ 

Members of legislative Assembly are prevented to hold offices of profit and doing so might have their membership disqualified. However, there are two Acts implemented in state that exempt 14 types of offices, including posts of minister, leader of opposition and others. The  government in its attempt to consolidate the Laws has decided to unify the two— The Rajasthan Legislative Assembly Members (Removal of Disqualification) Act, 1956 and Rajasthan Legislative Assembly Members (Prevention of Disqualification) Act, 1969. 

Provision for speedy trial 

The Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 requires amendment to allow hearing of witnesses, accused and other related parties through electronic audio-video means. An amendment in this regard was issued by state government in July. Through Code of Criminal Procedure (Rajasthan Amendment) Bill, 2017 has proposed to make the amendment in the act.

Relief to ‘sick’ industries 

The state government has decided to further increase the tenure of relief extended to industries undergoing a bad financial phase. According to reports the proposed Rajasthan 
Relief Undertaking (Special Provisions) amendment Bill, 2017 will include the support tenure extended to such industries from 
20 years under the existing Act to 30 years.