In a repeat of the protests earlier this week, the Opposition members trooped into the Well of the House and threw paper balls at the Speaker’s chair.

The security staff had a tough time controlling the SP legislators who climbed on the reporter’s tables.

Earlier, the Opposition wanted to know from the CM whether orders for collecting contributions for her birthday were issued by her, as she herself had claimed that collections have doubled after the Opposition launched protests following the murder of the engineer. The engineer was allegedly lynched by the Auriaya BSP legislator Shekhar Tewari on December 24 for refusing to pay Rs 10 lakh for the CM’s birthday on January 15.

Though the CM was not present in the House, the opposition Samajwadi Party and the Congress demanded a probe by the joint House committee and by the CBI into the murder.

They argued that an impartial probe would reveal why force was used on the engineer and who was the ultimate beneficiary of the contributions.

As soon as the House assembled, Leader of Opposition Mulayam Singh Yadav demanded suspension of Question Hour and a debate on the engineer’s murder. The Speaker adjourned the house for half an hour.

Later, Mulayam initiated the debate on an adjournment motion, alleging that the former MLA of his party Kamlesh Pathak and three others have been detained under National Security Act following the arson in Auriaya. He demanded that the government immediately release them and revoke all cases against them.

Congress leader Pramod Tewari said the BSP government, instead of defending itself, should tender a public apology for the murder. Suresh Khanna of the BJP demanded a CBI probe into the murder and said only an investigation by a central agency could reveal the real motive.

The ruling party members stood up in protest when SP member Ambika Choudhury demanded that the CM herself explain the motive behind the killing.

As the Opposition MLAs trooped to the well of the House, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Lalji Verma tried to counter the charges levelled by the Opposition, but nothing was audible in the din.