Guwahati: The Assam Legislative Assembly on Friday witnessed a ruckus as members of the Opposition disrupted Governor Gulab Chand Kataria’s speech over a Maharashtra MLA’s remarks about ‘dog meat-eating habits of people’ of the state.
As the opposition MLAs stood up and shouted slogans, seeking to know what action has been taken against the legislator, Governor Gulab Chand Kataria had to cut short his speech to 15 minutes.
MLA Bachchu Kadu had proposed in the Maharashtra Assembly that stray dogs be sent to Assam to control their rising population, as they are consumed by locals in the northeastern state.
The issue was first raised by Congress legislator Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha, who questioned the Assam government’s “inaction” against Kadu, pointing out that a police team from the state had recently reached New Delhi to arrest party leader Pawan Khera over alleged remarks against the prime minister.
AIUDF MLA Rafikul Islam urged Speaker Biswajit Daimary to take suo motu cognisance for breach of privilege against Kadu’s remarks and “make him come to the Assam Assembly and apologise”.
Independent legislator Akhil Gogoi and CPI(M) MLA Manoranjan Talukdar also joined the opposition legislators in demanding action against their Maharashtra counterpart.
As the Congress MLAs moved into the Well of the House, Daimary asked them to return to their seats, and approach the matter through proper channels.
Amid the ruckus, all the opposition MLAs staged a walkout.