Maha House adjourned after ruckus over homes to mill workers

The Assembly witnessed three adjournments-- one for ten minutes, then till the end of?Question Hour and later for an hour-- as opposition members entered the well and shouted slogans since the House assembled for the day this morning.

Leader of Opposition Eknath Khadse urged the Speaker Dilip Walse Patil to set aside the Question Hour and take up discussion on the issue. However, the demand was rejected and the House adjourned for ten minutes.

Later, presiding officer Nawab Malik who was in the Chair, announced two adjournments of one hour each.

When the House re-assembled at 1300 hrs, NCP legislators Shashikant Shinde and Jeetendra Awhad criticised the opposition members for their "fake" concern for the plight of mill workers.

Without naming the Sena and MNS leaders Raj Thackeray and Sena leader Manohar Joshi, they said, "These leaders purchased the Kohinoor mill land for Rs 421 crore and are shedding crocodile tears for the mill workers. They should first declare that they are returning the land to the mill workers."

Awhad said the opposition parties have always scuttled labour agitations in Mumbai and alleged that the murder of trade union leader Datta Samant in 1997 was a "conspiracy" of the then Shiv Sena-BJP government. .