29 Chhattisgarh legislators shown door for uproar


Raipur, March 12 (IANS) Twenty-nine legislators, including 28 of the Congress, were suspended for unspecified period from the Chhattisgarh assembly Friday for trooping towards the speaker.
Speaker Dharamlal Kaushik announced the suspension amid noisy slogans by the legislators seeking resignation of Home Minister Nankiram Kanwar, saying law and order in the state had collapsed.

The suspended legislators include Congress leader Ravindra Choubey and former home minister Nandkumar Patel. A Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) member was also suspended.

The trouble began soon after question hour when Congress sought debate through adjournment motion on abduction of a 17-year-old girl in Raigarh district last week.

Congress alleged that the girl was kept in captivity for three days but police failed to act though they knew well the kidnappers. The Congress members sought resignation of home minister for alleged 'police inaction'.

Patel, who described the girl as his relative, said: "Opposition will not allow house to transact business till it is discussed through adjournment motion."

But the speaker rejected the demand and ruled that the issue will be taken up through call attention motion.

The protesting Congress members and BSP member marched towards the speaker, insisting that issue be discussed through adjournment motion. Finally, the speaker suspended the members without announcing the period of suspension.

In the 90-member assembly, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has 49 members, Congress 39 and BSP has two members.