This led to sloganeering between the ruling and opposition parties. Vidhan Sabha Speaker Dr. Raman Singh urged the opposition to raise their concerns during Zero Hour, but the opposition members refused. When the Speaker commenced the Question Hour, opposition MLAs started sloganeering in the well of the House.
This resulted in the self-suspension of 15 Congress MLAs. Even after suspension, the MLAs continued their protest in the well of the House. This led to the adjournment of the House proceedings for 10 minutes. Following this, opposition MLAs staged a demonstration in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue located in the Vidhan Sabha complex. Opposition MLAs boycotted the House proceedings for the entire day. Thereafter, most MLAs also went to the former Chief Minister’s residence in Bhilai.
At the beginning of the Question Hour, Kuwar Singh Nishad raised the issue of the ED’s action. Subsequently, other opposition MLAs also vehemently opposed it. The opposition MLAs argued that when Lakhma raised a question regarding corruption, the ED team arrived, and similarly, when Bhupesh Baghel raised a question regarding the PM’s residence, the ED also arrived. In response, BJP MLA Ajay Chandrakar stated that the ED’s action is not a subject for the Vidhan Sabha and that it is not a political platform.
The opposition accused the government of suppressing democracy. Witnessing the opposition’s uproar, Vidhan Sabha Speaker Dr. Singh said, “The Question Hour is yours. Crores of rupees are spent on it. If you disrupt the Question Hour, what will be the significance of the Vidhan Sabha? I will give you ample opportunity to speak during Zero Hour.” Despite this, the opposition members did not relent, and the commotion continued.
