A view of the Assembly on the first day of the Winter session, in Bhopal, Monday, Dec. 17, 2023.
Credit: PTI Photo
Bhopal: Allegations and counter-allegation flew thick and fast by members of opposition and treasury benches over portrait swapping of former PM Jawahar Lal Nehru with Bhim Rao Ambedkar from the backdrop of the assembly speaker’s chair (Ansadi) after a session proceeding in assembly on Tuesday.
The special assembly session is scheduled to end on December 21. Earlier 2 portraits of Gandhi and Nehru on either side of the chairman's chair in the assembly hall were placed.
On Tuesday the portrait swapping issue came as a surprise when the house re-assembled for business.
The newly appointed Congress Leader of opposition Umang Singhar opposed the move by terming it as unjustified.
"They (BJP) cannot crush the philosophy and his idea of Nehru by these acts," he said. Singhar went on to say whether the BJP replaced Nehru's portrait with Ambedkar or with Godse, it does not matter.
The BJP hit back with deputy CM Rajendra Shukla claiming that there was no harm in placing Ambedkar's portrait at the back of the speaker's chair. "The house proceedings are conducted in accordance with our constitution and Ambedkar was the founding father of the constitution," Shukla said while strongly condemning the statement by Singhar.
Meanwhile, as regards the Nehru portrait, it should find a rightful place, said Shukla.
Earlier the assembly proceedings commenced with oath taking by 21 newly elected MLAs on Tuesday. However, Congress MLA Kamal Nath, who was absent with prior information/notice to the speaker will be administered the oath after returning from foreign tour.