Rajasthan Assembly Speaker Vasudev Devnani. File photo
| Photo Credit: File photo
The issue of dissolution of nine of the 17 new districts and three divisions by the Bharatiya Janata Party government rocked the Rajasthan Assembly for the second consecutive day on Thursday (February 6, 2025).
The Opposition Congress MLAs trooped into the well and raised slogans during the Zero Hour, forcing a brief adjournment of the House.
Speaker Vasudev Devnani allowed two Congress members, Suresh Modi and Ramkesh Meena, to speak on the issue as per his Wednesday’s ruling. Both Mr. Modi and Mr. Meena alleged that the BJP government had done injustice to the people and adopted a “vindicative approach” while deciding to abolish the new districts formed during the previous Congress regime in 2023.
Mr. Modi and Mr. Meena have led public agitation in their constituencies, Neem Ka Thana and Gangapur City, respectively, against the dissolution of these two districts. Both the MLAs said the State government had not followed the norms and had failed to test the parameters while dissolving the districts without taking into account the interests of local people.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Jogaram Patel refuted the allegations and said the State government was fully empowered under the Land Revenue Act to create or abolish a district. He said the Congress had acted ahead of the 2023 Assembly election with the motive of securing votes to retain its government. “The new districts were formed to appease the local Congress MLAs,” Mr. Patel said.
Dissatisfied with the Minister’s reply, Leader of Opposition Tika Ram Jully said Mr. Patel had made a political statement instead of convincing the members and apprising the House of the reasons for keeping or rejecting the new districts. “Mr. Patel’s reply was full of rhetoric… He has failed to provide the basis for the government’s decision,” Mr. Jully said.
The Opposition MLAs raised slogans and trooped into the well demanding an explicit answer from the government. When the Speaker did not allow the debate on the matter even after an adjournment, the Opposition staged a walkout from the House.
The Assembly had witnessed noisy scenes and adjournment on the subject on Wednesday as well, when 31 Congress MLAs gave notices for adjournment motion during the Zero Hour regarding the situation arising out of the dissolution of newly formed districts and divisions.
Published – February 07, 2025 10:38 am IST
