Demanding flood debate, Akhil Gogoi climbs desk; suspended for the day

High drama unfolded in the Assam Assembly on July 23 after Raijor Dal president and Sibsagar MLA Akhil Gogoi was suspended for the remainder of the day for climbing atop his desk while protesting the Speaker's refusal to allow a discussion on the worsening flood situation in the state.

The confrontation began shortly after the Question Hour when Gogoi sought to move an adjournment motion to discuss the devastating floods that have ravaged several districts of Upper Assam, particularly Sivasagar, Charaideo and Jorhat.

Appealing to Speaker Ranjeet Kumar Dass, Gogoi requested two minutes to highlight the scale of the disaster.

"The three districts have turned into rubble; everything has been destroyed. I urge the Assam Assembly to ask the state government to request the Centre to declare it a natural calamity," Gogoi said.

He claimed that residents of the affected districts had never witnessed such large-scale devastation and urged the House to suspend all other business to take up an immediate discussion on the flood crisis.

However, Speaker Dass rejected the adjournment motion, pointing out that a similar motion moved by the Congress on Wednesday had also been disallowed.

"We are discussing the Budget and cut motions are going on. These cannot be cancelled. I request you to bring the issue through another parliamentary device for discussion in the House," the Speaker said.

Refusing to relent, Gogoi continued protesting and repeatedly pleaded with the Speaker to let him speak.

"Please do not betray me and my chair. You requested two minutes, and I gave you two minutes and 44 seconds. Now, do not drag it," Dass responded.

As the Speaker proceeded with the day's business, Gogoi stood on his chair and began shouting slogans. When his protest drew no response, he climbed onto his desk and continued raising slogans demanding a discussion on the floods.

The Speaker immediately ordered his suspension for the remainder of the day's proceedings and directed the Assembly Marshals to remove him from the House. Marshals subsequently lifted Gogoi from the desk and escorted him out of the Assembly.

The dramatic protest came amid a worsening flood situation in Assam, where at least 41 people have lost their lives and more than 6.5 lakh people remain affected across 11 districts.

The flood issue had also disrupted Assembly proceedings on Wednesday, when the Congress moved an adjournment motion seeking an immediate discussion on the crisis. The motion was rejected by the Speaker.

Deputy Leader of the Congress Legislature Party Joy Prakash Das had urged the government to suspend the ongoing Budget Session for two days and constitute an Assembly committee to visit flood-hit areas and oversee rescue and relief operations.

Responding to the demand, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pijush Hazarika said the government was making every effort to provide relief and rescue assistance.

He acknowledged that the administration had been caught off guard by the unprecedented flooding in eastern Assam, noting that the worst-hit areas had not experienced such severe inundation in more than six decades.