U.P. Monsoon Session begins on a stormy note

The opening day of the Monsoon Session of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly turned stormy, with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the principal Opposition party – the Samajwadi Party (SP) – taking potshots over multiple issues.

‘Facade of democracy’

While the SP MLAs protested over issues such as floods, school merger, corruption, power cuts, as well as the law and order situation in the State, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath accused the SP of hiding behind a “facade” of democracy while subjecting traders to atrocities and a ‘goonda tax’ during the party’s term in power between 2012 and 2017.

He questioned the SP for opposing the Gorakhpur Heritage Corridor, calling its stance “anti-development”. Outlining the project, he said the corridor will link iconic landmarks, including Ghantaghar – the city’s oldest market – and Gita Press.

Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Mata Prasad Pandey alleged that the State government failed on all fronts and said that Uttar Pradesh is facing very serious issues.

Meanwhile, Bahujan Samaj Party president Mayawati urged all political parties to make full use of the Assembly session in the interest of people..