Congress legislators disrupt Governor’s address in Maha Assembly

Congress legislators including former CM Prithviraj Chavan blocked the Governor's entry.

Congress MLAs obstruct Maharashtra Governor C Vidyasagar Rao from entering Vidhan Bhavan. (Source: PTI photo)

Congress legislators in Maharashtra on Wednesday disrupted Governor Vidyasagar Rao’s Address to the joint session of the state legislature, protesting the manner in which the 13-day-old BJP government won the trust vote.

Congress MLAs shouted slogans like “Dadagiri nahin chalegi (no bullying tactics),” and “Governor go back” as Rao began his Address.

Raising slogans like “down with the minority government,” the Congress legislators walked out before the Governor could complete his Address.

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Earlier, Sena legislators tried to stop the Governor from entering the Vidhan Bhawan to deliver his Address, and handed over to him a memorandum complaining the “unconstitutional” manner in which the vote of confidence was passed earlier in the day.

aharashtra Governor C Vidyasagar Rao enters Vidhan Bhavan. (Source: PTI photo)

The Congress legislators including former Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan squatted on the stairs of the Vidhan Bhawan building and blocked the Governor’s entry.

MPCC chief Manikrao Thakre said outside Vidhan Bhawan that no poll was taken during the trust vote today and it had become clear that the BJP government had trampled upon the Governor’s directives to have a vote of confidence.

The state Congress, soon after the trust vote, had sent a letter to the Governor requesting him not to deliver his Address to the joint session.

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“The minority BJP government which has a strength of 123 MLAs when the majority mark is 145 was asked to prove majority in the House. But the motion was not put to vote. The BJP has not followed your directives and hence it is an unconstitutional government,” the letter said.

The party sought time from the Governor to explain the developments in the Legislative Assembly and said if the demand was not accepted it will resort to severe agitation.