The Budget Session of Himachal Pradesh Assembly began on a stormy note on Friday with suspension of five Congress legislators, including Leader of Opposition Mukesh Agnihotri for allegedly jostling Governor Bandaru Dattatraya when he was leaving the Assembly complex after his address.

Five Congress MLAs—Mukesh Agnihotri, Harsh Varhan Chauhan, Sunder Singh Thakur, Satpal Raizada and Vinay Kumar, were suspended for the entire session till March 20. No Congress MLA was present in the House at the time of suspension of the five MLAs.

The Congress MLAs had allegedly tried to stop the Governor in front of the Speaker’s chamber when he was going towards his cavalcade, accompanied by Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur and Parmar, after addressing the Assembly on the opening day of the budget session.

After the ruckus, Vidhan Sabha Speaker Vipin Parmar, who had earlier adjourned the House, recalled it in special circumstances and condemned the behaviour of Congress members and said they blocked the passage of the Governor, threw the copy of Governor’s address on him and indulged in jostling. Parmar said he had to recall the house after adjournment under rule 346 to discuss the issue, which was most shameful and never happened in the past.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Bhardwaj said that the Governor was manhandled by Congress MLAs when he was going towards his vehicle. He moved a motion to suspend the five Congress legislators in the absence of the entire Opposition.

Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur informed the house that the Governor’s ADC was manhandled by the Congress Legislative Party leader and this was against the traditions of the State Assembly.

At this, the House passed the resolution to suspend the five Congress MLAs for the entire session. The Speaker said that the Congress members’ action was against rules.

On the other hand, Leader of opposition Mukesh Agnihotri alleged that the Congress legislators were, in fact, manhandled by BJP legislators and Ministers when they tried to talk to the Governor. “We did not touch the Governor, the CM (Chief Minister) or Ministers,” he said.

The suspended Congress MLAs said that they were waiting outside the Speaker’s office and wanted to ask the Governor why he cut short his address but they were not allowed to do so. The Congress legislators alleged that it was Deputy Speaker Hans Raj who manhandled the MLAs, a charge denied by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Bhardwaj.

The suspended Congress MLAs have decided to sit outside the Assembly in protest during the budget session.

Earlier, the trouble began as soon as the House assembled at 11 am. The Congress members led by Leader of the Opposition Mukesh Agnihotri rose from their seats and raised slogans as the Governor was delivering his address on the first day of the session.