Guwahati, February 16 The Assam Assembly's budget session began on Monday with a lively atmosphere as opposition members protested during the governor's speech, entering the assembly hall and chanting slogans.
The opposition MLAs created a noisy environment for almost the entire 40-minute speech delivered by Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya.
They attempted to throw copies of the speech towards the podium, but the security personnel quickly intervened.
In the last session of the assembly under this government before the elections, the vote-on-account will be presented on Tuesday.
As the governor elaborated on development projects under the current regime, Congress, AIUDF, CPI(M), and the lone Independent MLA entered the assembly hall to express their dissent.
Leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia led the MLAs, with his Congress colleagues holding copies of the speech.
AIUDF MLAs marched into the assembly hall carrying placards featuring photos of a recent controversial video purportedly showing Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
While the opposition MLAs created a noisy environment, the governor continued his speech, with the treasury benches applauding the mention of development activities under the current regime.
Speaker Biswajit Daimary, who was sitting beside the governor as he delivered his speech, tried to calm the MLAs and urged them to return to their seats, but without success.
Initially, the opposition MLAs displayed copies of the speech, but later tried to throw them towards the governor's podium.
The security personnel seized the copies and also took away other placards and papers being displayed by the MLAs.
Over 20 security personnel, including the marshals, were deployed to manage the more than 30 opposition members who remained in the assembly hall throughout the speech.
The opposition members raised slogans against the controversial video purportedly featuring the CM and demanding justice for popular singer Zubeen Garg, who died in Singapore on September 19 last year.
All the MLAs sat on the floor for some time while they continued to raise slogans, with the AIUDF legislators remaining seated on the carpet until the end of the speech, while the rest of the opposition members again stood up and protested in front of the podium.
Acharya, in his speech, dwelt on the development activities and welfare measures of the government and highlighted the achievements over the last five years.