COVID-19 storm in Assam Legislative Assembly; Opposition stages walkout

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: A 'COVID-19 storm' lashed the Assam Legislative Assembly on Monday when the Congress-AIUDF combine staged a noisy walkout after the Speaker disallowed the adjournment motion moved by the Opposition on the pandemic.

Opposition leader Debabrata Saikia had moved the adjournment motion seeking a detailed discussion on COVID-19 by keeping aside the other agenda of the day. Saikia said that even Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma himself admitted that COVID-19 is critical in Assam which warrants a whole-day discussion on it. "Because of the COVID-19 patients, non-COVID patients are also not getting the required treatment," Saikia pointed out.

On the admissibility of the adjournment motion, AIUDF legislator HRA Choudhury said, "COVID-19 impacts the socio-economic and educational sectors as well."

In his reply, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary said, "The COVID-19 pandemic has engulfed the entire world. The government has taken the pandemic seriously, and is doing the best it can. We also want a discussion on the pandemic within rules of the House."

The Speaker then said, "I heard both the Opposition and the ruling parties. The government has made it clear that it also wants to discuss the pandemic, but within other devices of the House. The House has many such devices. The pandemic hasn't come all of a sudden. It has been here since March this year. Taking all these matters into consideration, I disallow the adjournment motion."

Finally, members of the Congress and the AIUDF staged a noisy walkout.

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