Ruckus in assembly over CD telecast on local channel

Dehradun: Minutes after the much-awaited five-day Uttarakhand supplementary budget session began on Monday, it was drowned in a ruckus. Leader of the opposition Ajay Bhatt demanded a debate on a statement allegedly made by Uttarakhand Awas Vikas Parishad chairman Sharvat Karim Ansari. In a statement allegedly recorded on a CD and telecast by a local news channel on Sunday, Ansari said he was offered Rs 50 crore by someone who wished to have him topple the state’s Congress-led government.
Ansari is parliamentary secretary and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) legislator from Manglore in Haridwar district. In his statement telecast on Sunday, he also states that he was offered Rs 30 lakh for the appointment of a certain person as chairman of the Power Corporation of Uttarakhand Limited.
As Bhatt raised the matter, all 27 other BJP MLAs stood up to join issue with him. The house witnessed pandemonium as Speaker Govind Singh Kunjwal declined to allow a debate in the matter.
The BJP legislators led by Ajay Bhatt stormed into the well of the house and raised anti-government slogans, forcing the Speaker to adjourn the house, first at 11.30 am and then again at 12 pm, and finally at 12.30 till 3 pm.
“The question of letting the house continue its business does not arise until the Speaker permits us to discuss the Ansari issue, keeping in view its significance,” BJP MLA Tirath Singh Rawat said.
Angry BJP MLAs said although the authenticity of the CD is yet to be corroborated, after watching the CD on the news channel, everyone wanted to know the truth behind the episode.
The house re-assembled after 3 pm during the post-lunch session. The 70-member state assembly began to transact the business smoothly after the Speaker agreed to allow the house to start the debate on the alleged plot to topple the government.
The house witnessed uproarious scenes after leader of opposition Bhatt, who is also BJP MLA from Ranikhet, urged speaker Kunjwal to suspend BSP MLA Ansari from the house till the extent of his involvement in the “wheeling-dealing” was ascertained.
BSP MLA Ansari, however, dismissed the charges against him. Clarifying his stance on the issue, Ansari said he was not at all involved in the controversy, and was ready to face a probe.
“I have nothing to do with this CD. I have been implicated in the case with a motive to malign me,” Ansari said.
Speaking in the house, chief minister Harish Rawat said if Ansari was ready for a probe, the house must allow Speaker Kunjwal to take a final decision in the matter.
Kunjwal, however, did not mention what kind of probe would be ordered against Ansari.
Parliamentary affairs minister Indira Hirdesh also tabled 11 bills in the house which were passed with voice-votes. These bills included Uttarakhand Minerals Development Council Bill Bill-2014, State Lokayukta-2014 Bill, Uttarakhand Re-settlement Development Council Bill-2014 and Uttarakhand Subordinate Services-2014 Bill.