The second day of the Budget Session began on Tuesday with the Opposition Congress demanding a discussion under Rule 310 the issue of unemployment in the state and the police lathi-charge on February 9 on students who were protesting in Dehradun against recruitment scam and cases of examination paper leak in the state.

Fifteen Congress MLAs were suspended from Uttarakhand Assembly for a day after they created a ruckus over Speaker Ritu Khanduri’s decision to turn down a breach of privilege motion moved by the Opposition on Tuesday.

Angry with the Speaker’s decision, the MLAs charged toward her chair and created ruckus even as two MLAs got on the Assembly Secretary’s table, tore the Assembly rulebook and shouted slogans against the government.

Earlier in the day, Congress MLA Adesh Singh Chauhan had moved a privilege motion against the Udham Singh Nagar SSP, but the Speaker turned down the privilege motion on the basis of a report submitted to her by the state government.

The second day of the Budget Session began on Tuesday with the Opposition Congress demanding a discussion under Rule 310 the issue of unemployment in the state and the police lathi-charge on February 9 on students who were protesting in Dehradun against recruitment scam and cases of examination paper leak in the state. Speaker Khanduri allowed a hearing on the matter under Rule 58 and called for Question Hour.

Criticising the Congress MLAs for their “unruly behaviour”, state BJP chief Mahendra Bhatt said such conduct in the House cannot be accepted under any circumstances. He said the House is convened to discuss public issues, but the Congress, in its “frustration and disappointment”, is “trying to run away” from playing the role of a responsible opposition.

State Congress president Karan Mahara called the suspension of party MLAs as undemocratic and demanded “immediate withdrawal” of the suspension order. “This is indicative of BJP’s dictatorial character, which will not be tolerated by any party that believes in democracy,” he said.

Mahara had earlier called the statement by the Governor, Lt. Gen. Gurmit Singh, in favor of the government during the session against the dignity of the constitutional post he holds