UP Assembly Speaker Satish Mahana Storms Out in Dramatic Fashion
In a stunning display of frustration, Uttar Pradesh Assembly Speaker Satish Mahana left the House in disarray on Friday after throwing his wired headphones on the desk and adjourning the session for over ten minutes. The incident occurred during Question Hour, with Mahana visibly upset by the continuous unruly behavior from members of both the opposition and treasury benches.
Chaos Erupts During Question Hour
The tension began when SP MLA from Machhlishahr, Ragini Sonkar, raised an additional query about migration in reservation, dissatisfied with the reply from Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Khanna. Speaker Mahana objected to Sonkar's insistence on an immediate response, asking her to sit down. However, other opposition members stood on their chairs, escalating the commotion.
Mahana pointed toward the opposition benches and stated firmly, "It is not necessary that you all create chaos. Sit down." Even as he attempted to pacify the opposition MLAs, members from the treasury benches, including BJP MLA from Baansdih, Ketakee Singh, began objecting to remarks from the opposition side.
Speaker's Frustration Boils Over
Mahana objected to this intervention, repeating three times while pointing toward the treasury benches, "This was not your work." His frustration peaked when he removed his headphones and threw them on the desk, exclaiming, "Will you run the House?" He then announced, "I am leaving the House for 10 minutes," before storming out in anger.
Calm Returns After Adjournment
When the House reconvened, SP MLA Kamaal Farooqui pleaded with the Speaker to cool down, remarking that anger did not suit him. Similar sentiments were echoed by SP MLA Sangram Singh Yadav and Congress MLA Aradhna Misra 'Mona', who even requested Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Khanna to recite a couplet to lighten the atmosphere.
Background on the Discussion
Earlier in the session, Minister Suresh Khanna had replied to a supplementary question from Ragini Sonkar regarding backlogs in the Uttar Pradesh Service Commission. Khanna explained that the UPSC declares an annual calendar for vacant posts, with advertisements issued accordingly. Since 2017, procedures to fill 47,407 vacancies have been completed following prescribed reservation norms. "We are following in totality the rules as per the constitutional mandate," Khanna affirmed.
This incident highlights the ongoing tensions and procedural disruptions in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, with Speaker Mahana's dramatic exit underscoring the challenges of maintaining order during heated debates.
