India, Aug. 3 -- The monsoon session of the Uttar Pradesh assembly began on Monday amid protests by Samajwadi Party (SP) legislators, who targeted the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government over the alleged theft of donations from the Ram Temple in Ayodhya along with issues of law and order, unemployment and welfare schemes.

Opposition legislators gathered near the statue of Chaudhary Charan Singh in the Uttar Pradesh Legislature complex at around 10am and raised slogans against the government before the House convened.

Carrying a donation box to symbolise the alleged Ram Temple donation theft, they displayed placards bearing slogans such as "Chanda Chor Gaddi Chhod", "Jo chanda chura sakte hain wo vote aur sansad kyun nahi" and...