Ruckus in Chhattisgarh Assembly: Opposition Walkout Over Jamboree ‘Irregularities’, Death Threat to MLA and Liquor Row

Raipur: The Chhattisgarh Vidhan Sabha witnessed heated exchanges, sloganeering and an opposition walkout on Wednesday over alleged financial irregularities in the Scout Guide Jamboree, a death threat to Bhilai Nagar MLA, and issues related to liquor sales.

Questions over Jamboree tender process

Congress MLA Umesh Patel raised allegations of corruption in the Scout Guide Jamboree event, questioning the tendering process. He asked how many times the tenders were issued and whether work had started even before the formal process was completed.

School Education Minister Gajendra Yadav clarified that the initial tender was cancelled due to technical reasons. He said a fresh tender was issued on December 23 after certain rules were amended with the approval of the National Scout and Guide Council.

The minister denied any corruption and stated that the entire process followed GeM portal norms. However, the opposition, dissatisfied with the response, staged a walkout from the House.

Death threat to MLA Rikesh Sen

During the Zero Hour, the House also discussed a death threat allegedly issued to Bhilai Nagar MLA Rikesh Sen.

Umesh Patel demanded a clear statement from the government regarding the MLA’s security. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kedar Kashyap assured the House that the MLA is completely safe.

Former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel said the opposition would not participate in proceedings until a detailed report was provided. Following this, Assembly Speaker Raman Singh directed that the matter be investigated.

Verbal spat over ‘hijacking’

The session also witnessed a sharp war of words between treasury and opposition benches. When Bhupesh Baghel took a dig at the empty treasury benches, BJP MLA Ajay Chandrakar responded by saying Baghel had “hijacked” the role of the Leader of the Opposition, Charandas Mahant.

Baghel hit back, claiming that the entire House had been “hijacked.”

Questions on Atmanand Schools

Leader of the Opposition Charandas Mahant also sought details on the number of Swami Atmanand English Medium Schools and the status of pre-primary classes.

Minister Gajendra Yadav informed the House that 54 schools across 14 districts currently run pre-primary sections. He also said 11,000 Balwadis (pre-school centres) will be opened under the New Education Policy and denied reports of teachers being removed from these schools.

Liquor issue sparks further uproar

BJP MLA Shakuntala Portey raised concerns about the sale of adulterated liquor in Pratappur constituency. Excise Minister Lakhan Lal Dewangan assured that action is being taken.

The issue escalated when Portey referred to a ₹2,000-crore liquor scam during the previous regime.

Bhupesh Baghel sought details about recovery notices issued in liquor-related cases, but Speaker Raman Singh ruled that the query did not arise from the original question, leading to sloganeering and further disruption in the House.