Bhopal: After two-adjournments of 15 minutes each during question hours, the Madhya Pradesh assembly on Wednesday was finally adjourned for the day over the arrest and judicial remand of Congress legislator Kalpana Parulekar.

Congress legislator Arif Aqueel demanded a debate on the arrest of the legislator saying it was a clear breach of the privileges of the members of the assembly immediately after the question hour amidst noisy protest from the treasury benches.

When Speaker Ishwardas Rohani refused to grant permission, the Congress members jumped into the well of the House pressing for their demand despite repeated requests from the Chair for order.

However, when the Congress members continued to insist on a debate amidst strong protest from the treasury benches the Speaker adjourned it for the day.

According to Aqueel, the arrest of his party legislator not only infringed upon the rights and privileges of the members of the House but also of the Chair.

The deputy leader of the opposition Choudhary Rakesh Singh Chaturvedi joined Arif demanding for a debate saying her arrest was illegal and it should not have had happed in a democracy.

Even before he could complete what he wanted to say the ministers such as minister for state legislative affairs Narottam Mishra and Industry Minister Kailash Vijaywargiya, Home Minister Umashanker Gupta, Minister for Cooperatives Gaurishanker Bisen and a couple of other ministers rose from their seat to oppose any move for debate on the issue.

While terming the alleged act of morphing the photograph of the Lokayukta Justice P P Naolekar as a criminal offence, Mishra said it brought disrespect to the House and lowered its dignity. She was arrested from Mahidpur in Ujjain district on February 3 following allegation that she doctored the photograph of Lokayukta Justice and showed him in the uniform of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). She has been in jail since her arrest after the trial courts refused to grant bail even after her two attempts.

The Congress members opposed the arrest as they said it violated the privileges of the members of the House as she had displayed the photographs to mediapersons in the premises of the assembly.

The treasury benches justified it saying the alleged act of doctoring the photograph was not done in the premises of the assembly and hence, she did not enjoy any privileges.

But refuting the contention leader of the Opposition Ajay Singh told media persons outside the House, the entire property of the assembly came under the domain of the Speaker and hence, arresting her for displaying a photograph in the precinct of the House was a clear beach of privileges. Since the Speaker refused to accept this argument, he even warned the journalists saying they were not safe there.

The Congress, however, pledged to continue their protest against her arrest. The Congress members attended the opening session of the assembly with customary address of the Governor on Tuesday sporting black badges to mark their protest against her arrest.

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