Himachal: Congress stages walkout over police action on party workers, demands magisterial inquiry

SHIMLA: On the last day of monsoon session of the Assembly, Opposition Congress staged another walkout over the issue of lathicharge and use of tear gas shells and water canons on party leaders and activists during Wednesday's rally in Shimla.
Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Vidya Stokes raised the issue immediately after the question hour, demanding a magisterial enquiry into the action on party activists at a "peaceful rally" and action against police officials for resorting to it."We lodge a strong protest against the police action," she said.
Defending police action, chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal said Congress workers had climbed on barricades and pelted stones on cops. However, he added that since the CLP leader has raised the issue, he would look into the matter. Not satisfied with the reply, Congress MLAs reiterated their demand for magisterial probe. What is the harm in ordering magisterial probe, asked Congress MLA Kaul Singh Thakur. To this, Dhumal replied that the Congress party had been allowed to hold rally near the DC office and there was no reason for them to come towards the Assembly. "After pelting stones on cops and climbing and removing the barricades, now you are demanding magisterial probe."
While other Opposition members remained quiet on the issue, Mukesh Agnihotri kept insisting on a magisterial probe. Soon after they started raising slogans inside the House and walked out as ruling party members too resorted to slogans. The walkout made Dhumal quip that in the last five years, Opposition has staged 27 walkouts in the assembly. "This indicates that the Congress is not serious about discussing important public issues," he said.
According to the records, the 11th Assembly, which adjourned its monsoon session sine die on Thursday, had 164 sittings. The first session was held January 11, 2008.