The Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) MLAs staged a dharna against their own government after a ruling party lawmaker accused the present regime of harassing him in the Uttar Pradesh assembly.

While the Assembly session was underway BJP MLA from Loni constituency Nand Kishor Gurjar stood up to speak and alleged harassment by the Ghaziabad district administration and police. However, the parliamentary affairs minister Suresh Khana told him to sit down.

Samajwadi Party MLA and leader of opposition in UP assembly Ram Govind Chaudhary supported the MLA and urged that he should be allowed to speak. Other opposition lawmakers also raised this demand.

However, UP assembly speaker Hriday Narain Dikshit did not allow Gurjar to speak. Later, the house was adjourned for the day.

Angry over not being allowed to speak Gurjar sat on a dharna inside the house and he was later joined by the BJP MLAs.

The opposition MLAs from Samajwadi Party and Congress also joined the BJP lawmakers and slogans of "Vidhayak Ekta Zindabad" were raised.

More than 100 lawmakers reportedly cutting across the party lines were part of the dharna which went on for almost three hours including the members of the state legislative council. However, there is no official confirmation on the exact number of lawmakers who expressed solidarity with Gurjar in the floor of the house.

UP deputy CM Dr Dinesh Sharma went inside the house and tried to convince the protesting BJP MLAs but they were not convinced and the senior BJP leader had to return from there.

Later Gurjar along with the other MLAs cutting across the party line went to meet the state assembly speaker.

Sources say that the MLAs demanded that officials in Ghaziabad who allegedly harassed Gurjar and his family should be summoned in the assembly and action should be taken against them.

After assurance of action by the state assembly speaker, the MLAs decided to call off the dharna. However, the lawmakers may protest again on Wednesday once the assembly session resumes if the demands of Gurjar are not met.

A senior minister on the condition of anonymity said that the final call will be taken by UP CM Yogi Adityanath, who was in Jharkhand on Tuesday for election campaigning.

In a short statement issued to media, Nand Kishore Gurjar said that all the MLAs will be waiting till tomorrow.

UP assembly speaker while speaking to the media said, "The grievances of the MLA will be heard and appropriate action will be taken. Everyone can raise their concerns well within their rights."

Congress legislature party leader Aradhna Mishra said, "Nand Kishore Gurjar said that he was manhandled by the cops. His father was beaten up by the cops. Policemen also vandalised his property. However, he was not allowed to speak. If an elected representative can't keep his grievances in the house then how can he raise the voice of people who have elected him."

Senior Samajwadi Party leader and leader of the opposition in UP assembly Ram Govind Chaudhary said, "169 BJP MLAs came out in support of Gurjar. It has never happened before that the lawmakers of the ruling party are protesting against their own government. This proves that they have lost confidence in UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath. He should now resign and the BJP should look for his replacement."

Rejecting the claim by leader of opposition, state parliamentary affairs minister Suresh Khanna said, "No dharna was organised by the BJP MLAs inside the floor of the house. The opposition keeps on making baseless allegations and that is why these political parties have been rejected by the government in every election since the last few years."

BJP MLA Nand Kishor Gurjar and his supporters were recently booked for assaulting a food safety inspector in Ghaziabad. One of his representatives was also arrested by the police in connection with this case.

BJP MLA on November 29 wrote a letter to UP CM Yogi Adityanath claiming that there is a political conspiracy by his own party leaders and corrupt officials to malign his image and kill him. He also urged the CM to send him to jail so that he can feel safe.

After his letter to the CM, the state BJP leadership issued a showcause notice to him on December 1st. Gurjar was directed to submit his reply within a week.

The showcause notice was issued by the state general secretary Vidyasagar Sonkar on the directives of UP BJP chief Swatantra Dev Singh taking note of the complaints received against him of assaulting a food inspector and statements made by the BJP MLA in media.

Issuing a statement to India Today, UP BJP spokesperson Rakesh Tripathi said, "Gurjar was issued a showcause notice after the party received complaints of indiscipline against him. Instead of expresssing his grievances in media against the party leaders and officials, he should have approached the state organisation. BJP is a democratic party and we always hear concerns raised by our party leaders and workers. However, I am not aware whether the MLA submitted his reply on the showcause notice issued to him."

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