Mumbai: BJP holds mock session outside Assembly against suspension of 12 MLAs

Devendra Fadnavis. File Pic

BJP legislators, under the leadership of Devendra Fadnavis, set up a "counter Assembly" on the steps of the Vidhan Bhavan to hold a mock session as a mark of protest against the suspension of 12 party MLAs from the House for alleged misbehaviour.

In the morning, several BJP legislators squatted on the stairs of the Legislature building and shouted slogans against the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA-comprising the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress) government. Fadnavis, who is the leader of opposition in the Assembly, announced BJP MLA Kalidas Kolamkar as the "speaker of the (counter) House" and proposed to hold a discussion. The former chief minister, while addressing the MLAs, claimed the 12 party legislators were suspended on the basis of false allegations.

"Today, I propose a resolution against this government here and I request the members to start a discussion on the proposal," he said. Fadnavis said his party MLAs want to speak against the functioning of this "tyrant government". "They want to expose this 'Vasooli' (extortionist) and corrupt government," he said. Later, security officials stopped the BJP members from using loudspeakers even as they shouted slogans against the government.

Also Read: Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut justifies suspension of 12 Maharashtra BJP MLAs

Fadnavis told reporters that the government cannot stop the BJP from raising its voice against the "high-handedness" of the ruling dispensation. "Has the government imposed emergency?" he asked. "This is a black chapter...this is the murder of democracy," the BJP leader alleged. On July 5, 12 BJP MLAs were suspended from the Assembly for one year after the state government accused them of "misbehaving" with presiding officer Bhaskar Jadhav in the Speaker's chamber. Fadnavis had termed the allegation as false and said Jadhav's account of the incident was "one-sided."

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