Supplementary Budget, bills passed amid Opposition ruckus
By Arun Pratap Singh
Garhwal Post Bureau
Gairsain, 20 Aug: The four-day Monsoon Session of the Uttarakhand Assembly was today adjourned rather abruptly on the second day itself. The session was dominated by chaos and noisy protests from the Opposition, culminating in the adjournment of the House sine die in just two days. What was meant to be a four-day sitting from 19th to 22nd August at the Bhararisain Legislative Building effectively lasted barely one and a half days, with the House conducting business for only two hours and forty minutes. Despite the commotion, repeated adjournments and aggressive sloganeering, nine bills and a supplementary budget of Rs 5,315 crores were pushed through before the Government declared the Session closed on 20th August afternoon.
The agenda tabled in the House this morning was a clear pointer that the session would be concluded today itself and then adjourned sine die. Interestingly, during the entire two days of sitting, no debates were held and even the Question Hour could not be held.
From the very start of the sitting today, the Opposition insisted on a debate under Rule 310 on disaster management and law and order. When its demands were ignored, pandemonium ensued, with Congress members storming into the Well of the House. They were seen tearing papers, shaking microphones and shouting slogans against what they alleged was a dictatorial Government that had even engaged in electoral malpractice.
In a rather strange show of defiance, Leader of the Opposition, Yashpal Arya and senior Congress leader Pritam Singh, along with colleagues, staged an overnight sit-in inside the Assembly premises, spreading mattresses and quilts to mark their protest. They slept in the premises itself last night. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami’s repeated appeals to pacify the disgruntled legislators failed to make any impact, as the uproar continued today too, much in the same manner as yesterday.
Nevertheless, amidst the din, the House succeeded in passing all nine pending bills along with the Supplementary Appropriation demand. The House saw multiple adjournments because of disorder, yet a significant legislative agenda was cleared. Congress members continued their dharna even after the House was adjourned on the first day, staying overnight and resuming their protest the following morning. Their three persistent demands—transfer of the Nainital District Magistrate, suspension of the Senior Superintendent of Police, and withdrawal of cases filed against Congress leaders—remained unmet.
The Opposition’s protests evoked anger and retaliation from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party legislators, who accused Congress of paralysing the House. In response, BJP members planned a counter-demonstration, undertaking a march and circumambulation around the Assembly premises. Meanwhile, the Opposition escalated scenes inside, with Congress MLA Sumit Hridayesh tearing and flinging papers on the floor, while Independent MLA Sanjay Dobhal also joined the protests, highlighting the demand for urgent discussions. When the House reconvened after the noon adjournment today, the Congress legislators persisted with slogan-shouting. It was in this atmosphere that the remaining legislation, including the Supplementary Appropriation Bill, was swiftly passed before the Speaker declared the House adjourned indefinitely.
Among the key legislations passed in the House today were the Uttarakhand Minorities Education Bill 2025, which sets up an authority for minority communities and paves the way for recognition of madrasas; the Uniform Civil Code Uttarakhand (Amendment) Ordinance 2025, introducing stricter penalties for fraudulent live-in relationships; and the Uttarakhand Religious Freedom and Prohibition of Unlawful Religious Conversion (Amendment) Bill 2025, which prescribes punishment up to life imprisonment for forced conversions and introduces explicit safeguards against digital forms of inducement. In addition, the Uttarakhand Panchayati Raj (Amendment) Ordinance 2025, the Uttarakhand Private Universities (Amendment) Bill, the Uttarakhand Democracy Fighter Honour Bill 2025, and the Uttarakhand Witness Protection (Repeal) Bill were also passed in the House today.
Following the adjournment of the Session, the Congress members staged a dharna on the steps of the Assembly building. Yashpal Arya along with Pritam Singh also informed the media that they have resigned from the Business Advisory Committee in protest against what they described as unilateral decision-making. Hence the Monsoon Session ended on a bitter note. This was however followed by hurried departures of legislators travelling back home by road and air, with many pertinent questions related to the governance remaining unresolved.
