NEW DELHI: The fifth day of the Uttar Pradesh legislative assembly budget session on Monday saw disruptions as Samajwadi Party (SP) MLAs protested inside the assembly. The protest began after Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister Brajesh Pathak made a comment that SP members believed was directed at Mulayam Singh.
Speaking during the session, deputy CM Brajesh Pathak said, “You (SP leaders) follow what Netaji (Mulayam Singh Yadav) says. You follow this, right? Will you also agree with his statement ‘Ladko se galti ho jaati hai’?”
As soon as Pathak made this remark in the assembly, the Samajwadi Party legislators present in the assembly began to criticize his statement. Opposition leaders began demanding that Brajesh Pathak immediately apologize for his remark.
Leader of opposition and SP leader Mata Prasad Pandey said, “Mulayam Singh ji has been a respected leader. He has been the chief minister of the state. Your (BJP) government has also honoured him; why are you making such statements.”
Vidhan Sabha speaker Satish Mahana intervened and asked the protesting MLAs to leave the assembly.
While opposing capital punishment for rape, the former UP chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav in 2014 had purportedly said: “Ladke, ladke hain… galti ho jati hai.”
The budget session started on February 20 and will continue until March 5. The annual budget for the 2025-2026 fiscal year, expected to exceed Rs 8 lakh crore, was presented on February 20. Earlier, Uttar Pradesh finance minister Suresh Khanna tabled a budget of Rs 8,08,736 crore.
Key proposals in the budget include the creation of an Artificial Intelligence City, a technology research park focused on cybersecurity, distribution of Scooties to meritorious students based on eligibility, construction of four new expressways, and the development of 58 municipalities into smart municipalities.
Before the session began, chief minister Yogi Adityanath called on the opposition to cooperate so that the proceedings could continue without disruption until March 5. He said, “It is not only the responsibility of the government but also the responsibility of the opposition to run the session smoothly. The standards that the double-engine BJP government has set in the last about 8 years for the development of UP are unprecedented. Its glimpse is seen through the speech as well as through the discussions inside the House. Naturally, the frustrated and disappointed opposition tries to run away from discussing these issues and tries to create obstacles in the proceedings of the House. If the opposition helps in taking forward the meaningful discussion, then I guess that this can be a very good session.”