Rajasthan Assembly: Six suspended Cong MLAs stopped from entering House, deadlock continues

Jaipur (The Uttam Hindu): The six suspended Congress MLAs were not allowed to enter the Rajasthan Assembly on Tuesday as they tried to forcibly make their way into the House but were stopped by marshalls.

The deadlock in the Rajasthan Assembly continued for the fifth day, with tensions escalating over state Minister Avinash Gehlot’s remark about former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

Although Congress MLAs have ended their sit-in protest in the House, they are firm on their demands, vowing to disrupt proceedings until the suspension of six MLAs is revoked and the Minister issues a formal apology.

The Congress MLAs ended their sit-in on Monda, but is likely to continue its boycott of the Assembly on Tuesday, said party workers.

The crisis deepened further when accusations of insulting the Speaker were added to the ongoing conflict between the ruling party and the opposition. The situation worsened after Monday's session was adjourned, as Dotasra allegedly used offensive language against the Speaker, intensifying the dispute. As a result, the reinstatement of the six suspended Congress MLAs remains stalled.

Having left the House, the suspended MLAs are now barred from returning until further resolution.

Dotasra reiterated Congress’ stance, stating, "Until the Minister's remarks are expunged from the records and an apology is issued, we will not participate in Assembly proceedings."

He further asserted that if the party's 66 MLAs are unable to attend, they will take their fight to the streets. This statement reinforces the Congress’ strategy of boycotting the Assembly.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Jogaram Patel placed the blame squarely on Dotasra, alleging that he reneged on an agreement made in the Speaker’s chamber. "It was agreed that Dotasra would express regret for approaching the Speaker’s table inappropriately, but he later refused," Patel said.

He also condemned Dotasra’s remarks about the Speaker, calling them “highly inappropriate and unacceptable”.

Patel accused the Congress leader of deliberately orchestrating the standoff to stall legislative proceedings.

"The people of Rajasthan are watching. What public interest issue justifies this ongoing disruption?" he questioned.