Accusing the MDA government of deviating from the rules of conduct of business in the Assembly, the entire opposition today staged a walkout from the House.
The opposition’s walkout was to register its protest against the voting of demand for grants before the chief minister’s reply on the budget discussion.
Raising a point of order, Congress legislator Celestine Lyngdoh said that few demands for grants under the budget were passed on February 21 although Chief Minister Conrad Sangma replied to the budget debate today.
“If they have voted for the main budget for this year last Friday (Feb 21) then we have crossed beyond the provisions of the rules,” Lyngdoh said adding, “If we say voting for demand for grants can be done before the chief minister’s reply then the reply of the chief minister at the end of the budget discussion becomes redundant.” Lyngdoh said.
The Umsning MLA further said, “I want this House to follow the rules. If the House is not following the rules, what is the point for us to sit here and listen?”
Lyngdoh’s point of order was supported by the legislators belonging to the Trinamool Congress and VPP.
VPP legislator Ardent M. Basaiawmoit said, “We expect that the chair would admit its mistake and ensure this will not happen in the future.”
Former chief minister Mukul Sangma said, “Correcting things is very crucial otherwise what is wrong will be considered as right and what is abnormal will be considered as normal which is dangerous and should not be a precedent.”
“Even God listens to our prayers. I am definitely sure that the chair will listen to us and make corrections lest it becomes a precedent,” he added.
Giving his ruling, Assembly Speaker Thomas A. Sangma said, “The calendar has been finalised in the BAC that has been placed in the House on the first day on February 16 and it was approved by this House.”
However, the opposition members were not satisfied with the ruling by the Speaker.
“The ruling is not very clear, we are not satisfied. So the opposition members have no role to sit here and waste their time (since) the reply of the chief minister is redundant,” Lyngdoh said as he led the opposition members out of the House.
Defending the treasury bench, Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong said, “The opposition members are making a fool of themselves. This calendar has been approved by the House on the first day of the session. How can we go back again?”
Terming the opposition’s walkout as unfortunate, Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said the opposition members themselves were part of the decision when the House accepted the calendar proposed by the BAC.
Sangma also accused the opposition of not wanting to listen to his reply on the budget discussion after seeing the works that the government is doing in the State.
