Gujarat Assembly Suspends 11 Congress MLAs After Walkout over Question Rejection

The Gujarat assembly suspended 11 Congress MLAs for a day after they protested rejected short-notice questions by staging a walkout. Despite displaying placards and shouting slogans to press for discussions on various issues, the speaker rejected their demands, leading to their suspension for disrupting proceedings.

In a dramatic turn of events on Thursday, the Gujarat assembly suspended 11 Congress MLAs for a day following a walkout over rejected short-notice questions. The legislators protested by displaying placards and shouting slogans on diverse issues, from justice for Rajkot fire victims to curbing the drugs menace and tackling the water supply scandal in Navsari.

Despite their efforts, Speaker Shankar Chaudhary denied the demands, citing procedural rules and ministerial consent requirements. The protest, which saw Congress MLAs leaving the House and continuing their slogans outside, led to the Speaker's decision to suspend them for the remainder of the day, a motion approved by a majority vote.

Eleven Congress MLAs were suspended following recommendations from Legislative Affairs Minister Rushikesh Patel. A single Congress MLA, Jignesh Mevani, was absent, while the four Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs refrained from supporting the suspension decision. The monsoon session is set to conclude on Friday.

(With inputs from agencies.)