SP MLA Atul Pradhan livestreams UP Assembly proceedings; suspended

Lucknow: A Samajwadi Party MLA on Tuesday live-streamed proceedings of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly on Facebook Live while holding a protest in the well, drawing the ire of the speaker who asked him to leave the House.

Speaker Satish Mahana said it has come to his notice that a member was streaming on Facebook Live while raising the issue of "murder of democracy" in the Rampur bypoll.

The Speaker later said that he had verified that the member was SP MLA Atul Pradhan and asked him to leave the House for the entire session.

While the Sardhana MLA immediately left the House, SP members requested the Speaker to review his decision as the legislator was in the House for the first time and was not aware of the assembly rules.

Holding that "ignorance of law is not an excuse", the Speaker said Pradhan will not be allowed in the House.

However, on being insisted, the Speaker allowed the member to attend the House after 1 pm on Tuesday.