Rajasthan Assembly racked with chaos over lawyers' appointment under IPC

Jaipur, Aug 5 (PTI) The Rajasthan Assembly was adjourned on Monday amid chaos over the appointment of public prosecutors under sections of Indian Penal Code (IPC) instead of Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS).

Assembly Speaker Vasudev Devnani had to adjourn the House twice over the uproar.

The House was adjourned for the day later by Assembly Chairperson Sandeep Sharma.

Devnani also suspended Congress MLA Mukesh Bhakar from the House for the remaining sessions on the proposal moved by Chief Whip Jogeshwar Garg.

After the lunch break, Leader of Opposition Tikaram Jully raised the issue demanding a reply from the government on the matter.

"The CrPC ended in the country on June 30 and the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita came into force from July 1. After July 1, the citizens and police in the country are bound to follow this code.

"But, the Law Secretary of the Rajasthan Government has appointed public prosecutors in 12 districts under Section 24 (2) of the CrPC. This appointment should have been done under Section 18 of the BNS," he said.

"The government should respond to this. Under Rule 256 of the Constitution, the state government is bound to follow the laws of the Government of India," he added.

Without naming anyone, Jully also alleged that a minister's son has been appointed as a PP. Garg said the person must have been appointed on merit and it is not a crime to be a son of a minister.

Though Devnani said that the matter of appointments has come to the notice of the government, Congress MLAs demanded a response from the state government. Devnani denied the requests citing House rules.

A heated argument followed between the Speaker and the Leader of the Opposition and several Congress MLAs, who were asked several times to go to their seats.

Devnani expressed displeasure over the behaviour of Congress MLA Bhakar and asked the Parliamentary Affairs Minister to bring a proposal for his suspension.

On behalf of the government, Chief Whip Garg said, "Speaker Sir, on the one hand, you are trying to innovate, while on the other, the opposition is misbehaving. The Chair is being disregarded and insulted. The Chair is being threatened. This is condemnable.

"Therefore, I propose that Rajasthan Assembly member Mukesh Bhakar should be suspended from the meetings of the current session for the indecent behaviour towards the chair." Devnani approved Bhakhar's suspension and adjourned the proceedings of the House for half-an-hour and later extended the proceedings again for 30 minutes.

Later, Chairperson Sharma asked Mukesh Bhakhar to move out of the House, but when Bhakhar did not pay heed, he asked the marshals to take him out of the House.

Sandeep Sharma then adjourned the House till Tuesday. PTI AG VN VN