Gujarat Congress MLAs today walked out of Gujarat assembly budget session protesting speaker’s permission to Fiance minister Vajubhai Vala to deliver his budget speech sitting on chair that he shares with Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

Before the budget speech, Chief Whip of BJP Shri Pradipsinhji Jadeja demanded speaker’s permission for Finance Minister so that he could deliver budget speech sitting on chair.

When Assembly speaker Ashok Bhatt said it was his right to allow any member to speak while sitting on chair and permitted Vala for the same, the leader of opposition Shaktisinh Gohil stood up and said,: “In past when then Finance minister Manoharsinh Jadeja was unwell he said his minister of state for same department would read the budget by standing on foot. Jadeja said he would not choose to deliver the budget speech sitting on chair and he did that. Now it is improper to allow Shri Vajubhai Vala who wants to deliver the speech sitting on chair only to accommodate some face(Chief Minister’s) in budget speech’s photo frame.”

Speaker Ashok Bhatt ordered to remove Shaktisinh Gohil’s statement from record and reiterated that it was his right to allow any member who would like to speak while sitting on chair.

Soon after this, Congress MLAs walked out of the assembly. After Finance minister Vajubhai Vala started his speech, speaker Ashok Bhatt interrupted it and said: “In assembly procedure, Governor’s address and Finance Minister’s budget speech are very important. As these two speeches are too long, when they request that they want to speak sitting on chair, I approve their requests. last year also then Finance Minister requested through party chief whip and I accepted that request. There is a rule that if for any reason, a member of assembly wants to sit and speak, a speaker can allow.”

“I take it very seriously, that a person who holds honorable post like Leader of opposition said today that the Finance Minister wanted to deliver his budget speech sitting on chair to accommodate the Chief Minister sitting next to him in a photograph of budget speech. I take serious note of this,” Bhatt added.

It should be mentioned that Finance Minister Vajubhai Vala delivers his budget speech sitting on chair for last two years. He sits next to Chief Minister Narendra Modi. Congress alleges that Vajubhai delivers budget speech sitting on chair to accommodate Narendra Modi in photo and video frame of budget speech. If he delivers his speech standing on foot, only his face would be visible in photo and video frame and Chief Minister would be left out!

After coming out of assembly house, Congress MLAs burnt copies of Gujarat budget. Earlier Congress walked out during discussion on law and order situation in Southern Saurashtra’s Kodinar area. The walk-out staged on camera-frame issue was second one on Thursday.