August 20th (Wednesday), Gairsain: The Uttarakhand Assembly’s monsoon session ended in turmoil today, with Speaker Ritu Khanduri Bhushan announcing that the proceedings were adjourned indefinitely following repeated disruptions by the opposition.
Chaotic Scenes in the House From the outset, Congress MLAs protested against the state government, accusing it of rigging in the recent zila panchayat elections, mishandling law and order, and failing to address rising public grievances. Legislators stormed into the well of the House, tore up documents, and raised slogans, forcing multiple adjournments before the Speaker called an end to the session.
Business Left Pending The indefinite adjournment means that several important discussions—particularly on the ₹5,315 crore supplementary budget, disaster relief measures, and infrastructure allocations—could not be taken up. Only a condolence message and the initial tabling of the budget were completed before the uproar brought proceedings to a halt.
Speaker’s Decision Speaker Ritu Khanduri Bhushan expressed disappointment over the continued disruptions, urging members to maintain decorum. “The House exists to debate and resolve people’s issues, not to be paralysed by chaos,” she remarked before adjourning the session sine die (without setting a date for resumption).
Government vs Opposition While the ruling BJP criticised the opposition for “running away from debate,” Congress leaders argued that their protests were justified given the government’s failure to ensure free and fair elections in Nainital district. The standoff reflected deepening political divides in the state.
Implications With the session cut short, analysts say legislative scrutiny on disaster preparedness, budget allocations, and law and order issues has been deferred. The indefinite adjournment underscores the heightened political tension in Uttarakhand, where grassroots controversies are increasingly dominating the Assembly floor.
