Jaipur: Amid acrimonious scenes and repeated interruptions, the state Assembly Thursday passed Rajasthan Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026, and Rajasthan Shops and Commercial Establishments (Amendment) Bill, which had earlier been brought into force through an ordinance. A Bill brought through an ordinance must be passed by the Assembly within 6 months or it lapses. The Jan Vishwas amendment Bill replaced punishment with monetary penalties in 11 categories of minor offences.
During the debate on the Bills, a sharp exchange took place between Sandeep Sharma, who was in the presiding officer’s chair, and state Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasra. BJP MLAs objected strongly to Dotasra’s remarks directed at the chair, leading to sloganeering and opposition and treasury benches confronting each other across the floor. Despite the uproar, discussion on the Bills continued for some time before the proceedings were adjourned for half an hour as the situation escalated.The flashpoint came while Congress MLA Harimohan Sharma was speaking during the debate. Sandeep Sharma rang the bell to remind him about the time, prompting an objection from Dotasra, who argued that interrupting a legislator by ringing the bell during a Bill debate was not the accepted practice.The objection escalated into a heated argument as Sharma said the chair must be respected and that such remarks were unacceptable. Ministers Jogaram Patel and Avinash Gehlot accused the opposition of undermining the authority of the chair.While BJP legislators raised slogans, Congress MLAs moved into the well of the House to protest. Amid the din, Sandeep Sharma remarked that Dotasra’s conduct was “street-like” and asked him to mind his language.With the commotion refusing to subside, Arjunlal Jingar briefly took the chair and appealed to members to restore order, but sloganeering continued. The House was eventually adjourned for half an hour.When proceedings resumed, Speaker Vasudev Devnani presided over the House. Dotasra reiterated that he had objected to the bell being rung while Harimohan Sharma was speaking and alleged that Sandeep Sharma had reacted aggressively. Dotasra even suggested that a medical test be conducted on Sharma. Devnani objected to this remark, stating that Sharma had been presiding over the House at the time and such comments against the chair were not permissible. He directed that the remark be expunged from the record.
