DEHRADUN: The budget session of Uttarakhand assembly started on a stormy note on Monday as opposition Congress lawmakers entered the well of the House in protest against the hooch tragedy of Haridwar, which has claimed around 37 lives. Besides, the Congress lawmakers were also annoyed over the fact that the session was started 10 minutes before the scheduled time of 11am and Governor Baby Rani Maurya started her speech 5 minutes before the stipulated time. Annoyed over both issues, the Congress legislators entered the well of the House and raised slogans against the government and demanded the resignation of excise minister along with the dismissal of the state government. The Congress MLAs disrupted the Governor's speech but as Maurya continued to read her speech, the 11 MLAs of the Opposition party staged a walk out at 11:10 am.Leader of Opposition in the state assembly Indira Hridayesh told TOI, "There is a parliamentary decorum as well as tradition, which has to be followed by all. It was surprising that the entire proceedings were carried out in the assembly in the absence of Congress members but no one, including those of the ruling outfit, did not object over the issue. There was no point of us staying there if we were not required." She asserted that as per the business advisory committee meeting the session was to start at 11am. "Then what was the point of starting it 10 minutes before the scheduled time. The opposition is too a part of the assembly and has the right to hear to the governor's speech but here it appeared that the state government did not want us there. Had they told us so, we would have kept away from the proceedings," said Hridayesh, who was the finance minister in the previous Congress government.Congress state president Pritam Singh, who represents the Chakrata constituency, said "The state has witnessed its biggest hooch tragedy but the state government has remained totally ignorant on the issue. The BJP leaders are not willing to meet the affected people or their families. People were being taken to hospital in autos and tempos but unfortunately there was no proper mode of communication to take patients to the hospitals. In hospitals too, there was scarcity of doctors and medicines and other facilities but the state government simply ignored the issue. This shows the insensitive approach of the BJP leaders."Congress MLA from Kedarnath Manoj Rawat said that for the failure of BJP government to check sale of illegal liquor, which left so many dead, "we have sought the dismissal of the government. Claiming the moral responsibility, Excise minister Prakash Pant needs to resign. This is a serious issue and we will not let the government relax till the time action is taken against the accused and it admits its failure. An ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh is not enough. Someone has lost his father, husband and son. Is Rs 2 lakh the price of a life. The BJP government needs to admit its failure."Excise minister Prakash Pant said, "The Congress is raising a wrong issue. As per the note circulated by the assembly, they were expected to enter the House at 10:45 am as the governor's speech was to start at 11 am. They do not have much issues therefore they are creating ruckus to remain in limelight. The time is set for session and not for a speech or other activity. It is also the responsibility of leader of Opposition to be present in the function to receive the governor but Hridayesh did not turn up and the Congress lawmakers came late."

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