Uttar Pradesh Assembly adjourned for the day, Samajwadi Party members hold protest

The proceedings of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly on Tuesday were adjourned for the day after paying tributes to six departed sitting members.

On the first day of the Monsoon session, SP members staged a dharna inside the assembly premises against the government over its "mismanagement" of the Covid-19 situation, price rise and other issues.

Wearing oxygen masks and carrying placards, Samajwadi Party MLAs and MLCs also raised slogans against the government.

As soon as the House met, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath read out obituary references and after paying condolences, Speaker Hriday Narayan Dixit adjourned the House for the day.

The six sitting members who died recently are Vijay Kumar Kashyap (Muzaffarnagar), Suresh Kumar Srivastava (Lucknow), Ramesh Chandra Diwakar (Auraiya), Kesar Singh (Bareilly), Dal Bahadur (Raebareli) and Devendra Pratap Singh, Amapur (Kasganj).

Adityanath also paid tributes to the health workers and citizens who had succumbed to Covid-19.

Leader of Opposition Ram Govind Chaudhary said it was "sad and painful" that six sitting MLAs have lost their lives.

Leader of the Congress Legislature Party Aradhana Misra, BSP leader in the Legislative Assembly Shah Alam alias Guddu Jamali and SBSP (Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party) chief Om Prakash Rajbhar also paid tributes to the departed souls.

Speaking on the occasion, Dixit said, "We feel sad, as six MLAs who were with us died."

The House also observed silence for the departed souls.

Ahead of the commencement of the Assembly session, Adityanath told reporters that his government is ready for a discussion on all issues related to public interest, development, youth, women and villages.

"There should be a discussion on Covid control. Uttar Pradesh is the first state to have tested seven crore samples (for Covid-19). It has become the first state to administer six crore vaccine doses. If all the members support, those spreading rumours will be exposed," the chief minister said.

In a series of tweets, he said, "UP Legislature is the biggest in the country. Whatever we do here, sends a message to the entire country. Welcome greetings to members who will participate in the discussions on various issues despite the Covid-19 pandemic."

The SP MLAs and MLCs later sat on a dharna at the Chowdhury Charan Singh statue in the assembly premises and claimed that the people were fed up with the government due to price rise and crimes against women.

SP MLC Rajpal Kashyap told PTI, "We are protesting against the government that is anti-people. The SP always stands with the people and raises their voices. Unemployment, woes of farmers, women's security, price rise, corruption and mismanagement of the Covid situation are some of the issues that we are raising."

In a tweet in Hindi, SP president Akhilesh Yadav said, "We will tell everyone about the BJP's lies and show the mirror to BJP workers."