Lucknow: The maiden session of the newly elected Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly began on a stormy note as the Opposition MLAs staged protest over deteriorating law and order situation in the state and disrupted Governor's joint address.
According to reports, opposition lawmakers from the Samajwadi Party and the BSP started shouting anti-government slogans and trooped into the Well of the House as Governor Ram Naik began his speech.
The customary address of Governor Ram Naik to the joint sitting of the two Houses of the state legislature was drowned in the uproar created by the opposition.
Slogan-shouting opposition members trooped into the Well of the House despite Speaker Hridaya Narain Dixit's appeal at an all-party meeting to ensure smooth proceedings.
The Governor was flanked by Dixit and Chairman of the Legislative Council Ramesh Yadav.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was present when the Governor read the address despite the bedlam.
Opposition members blew whistles and threw paper balls at the podium and the marshals tried to dodge them with files.
Pandemonium in Uttar Pradesh assembly over law and order situation in the state. pic.twitter.com/vHzuFIafRZ
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) May 15, 2017
The maiden session of Uttar Pradesh's 17th legislative assembly has been convened for passage of the UP GST bill amongst others.
The GST Bill has already been cleared by the Parliament and now requires nod of the states to notify rule and regulations by the respective state governments for its pan-India implementation from July this year.
In an endeavour to give a push to transparent working, the proceedings of the UP Assembly are being telecast live on Television, for the first time.
The decision was taken in a meeting between Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Assembly speaker Hriday Narayan Dexit.
"People also should directly see the activities of their elected representatives in house," said CM Yogi Adityanath.
The opposition lawmakers had earlier warned that they will corner the BJP government on the issues of law and order situation in the state.
However, the government too is arming itself with all the relevant data to hit back at the opposition, which has only 74 MLAs against the BJP and its allies' massive strength of 325 in the 403-member House.
