Gujarat Assembly adjourned thrice over death of cows

GANDHINAGAR, FEB 29: Congress members raised a ruckus in the Gujarat Assembly on Tuesday over the death of 700 cows in northern region of ...

GANDHINAGAR, FEB 29: Congress members raised a ruckus in the Gujarat Assembly on Tuesday over the death of 700 cows in northern region of the state in the last few days, compelling Speaker Dhirubhai Shah to adjourn the house thrice.

Immediately after the House assembled at noon, Congress members displayed newspaper copies which carried photographs of carcasses of cows lying in a camp in Banaskantha district and shouted anti-Government slogans, which forced the Speaker initially to adjourn the house for ten minutes.

When the House met after ten minutes, Congress members again shouted slogans against the State Government and the ruling BJP members hooted back. The BJP members said the cows had died in a camp in Rajasthan, bordering North Gujarat, but the defiant Congress members were in no mood to listen and continued to shout. As the House again witnessed a wordy-duel over the issue, the Speaker tried his best to restore order, failing which he adjourned the House for second time for 15 minutes.

Gujarat Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel was present in the House during the uproarious scenes over the issue, while the Leader of Opposition Amarsinh Chaudhary was absent. Time and again, the Speaker tried to pacify the agitated Congress members and also informed them that the village where the cows had died was not in Gujarat but in Rajasthan which, however, failed to convince them, forcing the former to adjourn the house for third time for 20 minutes.