In a clear departure from the past the opposition on Wednesday disrupted the budget presentation in the state legislature assembly raising slogans against chief minister Prithviraj Chavan and deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar.
In a clear departure from the past the opposition on Wednesday disrupted the budget presentation in the state legislature assembly raising slogans against chief minister Prithviraj Chavan and deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar.
The developments also reflected the poor floor management on part of the ruling Congress and NCP. Senior ministers of Congress and NCP appeared relaxed enjoying the chaos in the assembly even as finance minister continued with his budget script.
A general secretary in the NCP said, “Through some political diplomacy the floor managers in the Congress and NCP should have held talks with opposition to ensure smooth budget presentation. But there are several leaders in NCP who used the occasion to score points against Pawar.”
The Congress also took the back seat watching Pawar take the beating from the opposition. The chief minister was only an exception often letting out expressions of disappointment against the opposition.
The budget speech was delivered by finance minister Ajit Pawar amidst the unprecedented uproar and squatting in the well of the house, where members from the BJP, Shiv Sena and MNS flashed banners and indulged in theatrics against government.
The behaviour has triggered a debate on whether constructive opposition should adopt such tactics to disrupt the budget?
Leader of the house Eknath Khadse said, “The injustice to the members of the opposition in the government constituted committees and allocations of funds to ruling members provoked us to resort to the protest.”
The opposition had demanded assurance from the ruling party to include their members on Sanjay Gandhi Niradhar Yogna committee which was not forthcoming. Khadse said, “The ruling has taken the state for granted. They have no respect for the members of the opposition. They are forgetting that they also represent the assembly and state.”
According to state Congress coordinator Sanjay Dutt, “It is sad that the sacrosanct occasion of the budget is used by opposition to score brownie points. Their behaviour does not auger well for the fabric of democracy.”
Concerted attempts by the speaker of the house Dilip Walse-Patil to restore peace in the assembly went unheeded.
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