Congress boycotts Maharashtra assembly proceedings over Parbhani violence, sarpanch murder

Nagpur: Congress members boycotted the Maharashtra assembly proceedings on Tuesday to protest the government's handling of the recent Parbhani violence and murder of a sarpanch in Beed district.

Members of the opposition Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP) staged a walkout along with the Congress MLAs. But legislators of the Shiv Sena (UBT) later returned to House.

Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Azmi did not walk out with the other opposition members and remained present in the House.

Violence erupted in central Maharashtra's Parbhani city after a glass-enclosed replica of the Constitution near Dr B R Ambedkar's statue outside the Parbhani railway station was vandalised on the evening of December 10.

More than 50 persons have been arrested and multiple cases registered in connection with the violence.

In Beed, the sarpanch of Massajog village, Santosh Deshmukh, was abducted and murdered on December 9.

After the House assembled on the second day of the winter session of the state legislature here on Tuesday, Speaker Rahul Narwekar rejected an adjournment notice by Congress member Nitin Raut, saying the issue has been listed for a discussion on Wednesday.

However, Raut and his party colleague Nana Patole demanded the issue be taken up for a debate immediately since the incidents are recent and threaten to disturb the social fabric of the state.

NCP (SP) member Sandeep Kshirsagar said Valmik Karad was the main accused in the murder of the sarpanch of a village in Kaij tehsil of Beed district and was still absconding.

An extortion case has been filed against him but not of murder, he said.

BJP MLA from Kaij, Namita Mundada, said Santosh Deshmukh was a good man. Despite being an elected representative, he was killed on the highway after being tortured.

The murder took place on December 9 and the main accused has still not been nabbed, she said.

Patole claimed that Ambedkarites were enraged over the death of Somnath Suryawanshi, following his arrest after protest against the desecration of the Constitution's replica in Parbhani on December 10.

He claimed the government had not handled the situation effectively, resulting in the "unrest".

However, Speaker Narwekar was firm that the discussion will take place on Wednesday.

Patole said, "We are boycotting the day's proceedings since the government is not serious about the law and order situation." All opposition members, except those of the Samajwadi Party, walked out of the House.

After sometime, members of the Shiv Sena (UBT) returned to the House, while the Congress legislators stayed away.