Deadlock in the Assembly ended after CM Bhajanlal’s intervention ; Lifted suspension of Six Cong MLAs

The weeklong stalemate in the Rajasthan Assembly concerning state minister Avinash Gehlot’s comments about former prime minister Indira Gandhi came to a conclusion on Thursday thanks to Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma’s involvement.

The suspension of six Congress MLAs, including state chief Govind Singh Dotasra, was also lifted after Leader of Opposition Tikaram Jully apologized on behalf of the Laxmangarh lawmaker for his behavior towards the speaker. Sharma convened a discussion with Speaker Vasudev Devnani and Jully in the speaker’s chamber to resolve the deadlock. With the impasse resolved, Congress legislators entered the House and engaged in the proceedings.

Jully expressed his gratitude to CM Sharma for initiating the efforts to resolve the deadlock. CM remarked that such stalemates, even if they happened, should not endure for long. Whereas Devnani stated that Dotasra’s behavior was not forgivable, yet he accepted Jully’s apology. He characterized Dotasra’s words as unfortunate and mentioned that the leader of the opposition should ensure he does not behave in such a way in the future. He also proclaimed that if an MLA approached the speaker’s dais during any future protests, they would be suspended without a proposal being put forward.

Earlier that day, Congress MLAs had chosen to boycott the proceedings and conducted a mock session outside to protest against Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Avinash Gehlot’s remarks about former prime minister Indira Gandhi. The deadlock concerning the minister’s comment in the assembly last week intensified after Dotasra’s “undignified remarks” aimed at Devnani.

During Question Hour on February 28, Avinash Gehlot pointed to the opposition and remarked, “In the 2023-24 budget, as always, you named the scheme (on working women’s hostels) after your ‘dadi (grandmother)’ Indira Gandhi. ” The comment caused an uproar, leading to three adjournments and the suspension of six Congress MLAs.

Demanding an apology from the minister and the reversal of its members’ suspensions, the Congress MLAs initiated a sit-in within the assembly. Numerous discussions took place between the two parties, but the matter remained unresolved as Devnani and Patel were not content with the statement made by Dotasra.