Oppn raises 'go back' slogans as guv addresses Uttarakhand Assembly

Uttarakhand governor Lieutenant General Gurmit Singh (retd.) was greeted with "Go Back" slogans as he listed achievements of Pushkar Singh Dhami government on the first day of the budget session on Tuesday.

- Amit Bathla

DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand governor Lieutenant General Gurmit Singh (retd.) was greeted with "Go Back" slogans as he listed achievements of Pushkar Singh Dhami government on the first day of the budget session on Tuesday.

As the governor was delivering his speech, the legislators from Opposition benches raised the slogan "Governor wapas jao" (Governor go back).

Leader of Opposition (LoP) Yashpal Arya sought the governor's patronage and alleged that the government doesn't want the House to run longer as it wants to evade discussions on prevailing issues like land law, corruption, disaster, installation of smart meters.

"Governor, we need your patronage for discussion on prevailing issues like disaster, corruption, land law, smart meters. The government isn't ready for it. The duration of the budget session should be extended," he said.

Congress MLA from Dharchula Harish Dhami said when he became MLA for the first time in 2012, the duration of assembly sessions used to be approximately two weeks, but the assembly sessions now last just four days. "It is against the rules of the assembly, which say that the house should sit for at least 60 odd days," he said.