The absence of chief minister Mayawati from the UP Assembly rankled the Opposition on Wednesday when Leader of the Opposition Shivpal Singh Yadav was about to initiate the debate on the motion of thanks to the governor’s address.
As soon as Mr Shivpal Singh Yadav stood up to initiate the debate, SP MLA Mohammed Azam Khan intervened and said that it was a matter of shame that the chief minister had not thought it proper to remain present in the House when the Leader of the Opposition was speaking.
Mounting a blistering attack on the chief minister, Mr Khan said that even the biggest dictators in the world could not stand up to the power of the people when they took to the streets.
“Innocents girls are being raped across the state, the deprived sections of society are facing police atrocities but the chief minister does not even have the time to listen to elected representatives. She should realise that one does not become a big leader by getting shoes polished,” he said and added that her absence from the House was an insult to the entire Opposition and the people it represented.
Hukum Singh of the BJP also objected to the chief minister’s absence and said that as leader of the House it was her duty to listen to the Opposition. “If she has a busy schedule, she can defer other programmes and make time for the Assembly session,” he said.
Mr Shivpal Singh Yadav asked the Speaker to fix another time for the debate, depending upon the convenience of the chief minister.
The Samajwadi Party and the BJP staged a walkout in protest.
The chief minister later arrived in the House and the debate and Leader of the Opposition initiated the debate in which he attacked the state government on the law and order issue.