U.P. Assembly witnesses chaotic scenes as Deputy CM, SP members clash

A view of the Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Sabha. The Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Sabha on Friday witnessed chaotic scenes with the principal Opposition party, the Samajwadi Party (SP) members protesting against Deputy CM Brajesh Pathak’s remarks, who alleged that the SP has nothing to do with samajwad, and called them fake and hypocritical socialists.
| Photo Credit: Sandeep Saxena

The Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Sabha on Friday witnessed chaotic scenes with the principal Opposition party, the Samajwadi Party (SP) members protesting against Deputy CM Brajesh Pathak’s remarks, who alleged that the SP has nothing to do with samajwad, and called them fake and hypocritical socialists. The Opposition members reached the Well of the House raising anti-government slogans, highlighting their protest against the comments.

The standoff started after the Question Hour when senior SP leader and Jaswantnagar MLA Shivpal Singh Yadav alleged that the health system of U.P. is in poor shape and that it is on a ventilator. Mr. Yadav also took potshots at the Deputy CM, who holds the health portfolio, for continuously changing political parties.

“He was earlier in the Indian National Congress (INC), thereafter went to the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) becoming Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha member from the party and now Deputy Chief Minister in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP),” said Mr. Yadav, while advising the Deputy CM to follow the footsteps of Atal Bihari Vajpayee [India’s former PM] and Deen Dayal Upadhyay [a tall Jan Sangh face].

After the statement by the Jaswantnagar MLA, Deputy CM Brajesh Pathak, while highlighting the works of the Health Ministry, alleged that the SP is dhongi (hypocrites) and nakli (fake) socialists, which angered the SP members.

“These people [SP] have no respect or nothing to do with samajwad (socialism). These people are nakli (fake) and dhongi (hypocritical) samajwadis (socialists),” said Mr. Pathak.

The statement created uproar in the Vidhan Sabha with many SP members storming the Well of the Assembly, raising slogans against the BJP government and the Deputy CM. The House got back in order after a few minutes when the speaker Satish Mahana requested the members to reach their seats and respect the democratic traditions of the Vidhan Sabha.