The Rajasthan Assembly session on September 3 turned tense amid protests and heated exchanges. The session was briefly suspended until 2 p.m. after BJP MLAs caused a ruckus during Question Hour. They entered the assembly well to protest against what they called irregularities in the state’s smart meter installation scheme, leading to chaos and a walkout by opposition members.
The dispute started when Congress MLA Rohit Bohra questioned how tenders for the smart meter project were awarded. In response, Energy Minister Hiralal Nagar explained that the decision to install smart meters was made by the previous Congress government. He assured everyone that the tender process followed all rules and that no contracts were given to blacklisted companies. The minister also mentioned that implementing smart meters is now a state decision, with the Union government leaving the choice to Rajasthan. He added that the project was approved in 2023 through a cabinet circular, without a formal cabinet meeting.
Tensions rose again over an issue raised by Congress MLA Dungar Ram Gedar. He questioned about “poisonous” water flowing from Punjab into Rajasthan’s canals. When Gedar felt his question was left unanswered, Speaker Vasudev Devnani said the matter would be discussed later. However, as Gedar pressed further, Government Chief Whip objected, arguing that the Speaker’s decision couldn’t be challenged on the floor.
Earlier in the day, Congress MLAs paid tribute to children who recently died in a school building collapse in Jhalawar. They placed flowers outside the assembly premises, with Opposition Leader Tika Ram Jully saying, “Tributes were not paid inside the House, but we are paying respects here.”
The opposition signaled it will continue to hold the government accountable on key issues like governance, transparency, and development throughout this Monsoon Session, which started just a few days ago.
