Congress MLAs walk out of Uttar Pradesh Assembly over CAG reports

LUCKNOW: Congress MLAs today staged a walkout from Uttar Pradesh Assembly over CAG reports pointing anomalies in the organisation of Mahakumbh Mela last year and construction of memorials in Lucknow and Noida during the previous BSP regime.

The MLAs demanded a discussion on the issue during the Zero Hour after the questions were over, but Speaker Mata Prasad Pandey said it was not possible as the reports of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) would go to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the House.

On this, the MLAs led by their Legislative Party leader Pradeep Mathur walked out of the House for the day.

Mathur later told reporters that Congress demands formation of a joint committee of the House for an inquiry into the shortcomings pointed out by the CAG.

"A BSP member is the chairman of PAC and it raises question whether the committee will be able to give the right report in light of CAG revelations," he said.

He alleged that SP and BSP were hand-in-glove and shielding each others scams.

The CAG in its reports, which were tabled in the Assembly on Tuesday, has pointed out shortcomings in the organisation of Mahakumbh Mela last year by the SP government and construction of parks and memorials during the previous Mayawati regime.