NEET issue rocks final day of Bihar assembly’s monsoon session

No sooner had proceedings begun at 11am on Friday, opposition members alleged that the police fired on protesting students.

The Bihar legislative assembly was disrupted on Friday, the last day of the five-day monsoon session, as the nationwide student agitation over the NEET issue triggered sharp exchanges between the treasury and opposition benches, forcing an early adjournment.

RJD and CPI-ML legislators demonstrate during the Monsoon Session of the Bihar Assembly in Patna on Friday. (Santosh Kumar/HT)

No sooner had proceedings begun at 11am on Friday, opposition members alleged that the police fired on protesting students.

The treasury bench members countered that anti-social elements had infiltrated the agitation and were assaulting ordinary citizens and media personnel. As both sides raised the pitch, opposition members trooped into the well of the house. With the uproar showing no signs of abating, speaker Prem Kumar adjourned proceedings within five minutes, until 12 noon.

RJD’s Alok Kumar Mehta opened the debate by alleging that students protesting the NEET issue nationwide were lathicharged and fired at instead of dialogue, accusing the government of being anti-student.

LJP(RV) MLA Raju Tiwari pushed back, alleging that anti-social elements had joined the protests and were beating children, women and journalists, and demanded a censure motion against such elements.

When the house reconvened, opposition members moved adjournment motions on multiple issues. RJD’s Ranvijay Sahu alleged large-scale irregularities in a tender process that investigating agencies had already flagged, demanding a probe. RJD’s Prof Chandrashekhar raised the issue of schools named after freedom fighters, social workers and philanthropists who had donated land and buildings for their construction, alleging the current government had abruptly renamed several such schools as “Saraswati Vidya Niketan” — in violation of established convention and the government’s earlier orders. Speaker Dr Prem Kumar, however, disallowed the adjournment motions citing the rules of procedure.

SC/ST promotion row triggers walkout

Responding to a call attention motion by Manish Kumar, JD(U) MLA from Dhoraiya (SC) constituency in Banka district, minister-in-charge Bijendra Prasad Yadav said that recruitment to state services followed the government’s reservation roster. He said that even in the case of officials delegated higher responsibilities through adhoc promotions, both SC/ST employees and those of other categories, were given pay scales of the higher post, strictly following the reservation roster. In case SC/ST employees were not available for reserved positions, 17% (16 for SC and 1% for ST) of the total sanctioned posts were kept in reserve till such suitable candidates were found. He added that the government would review the matter if there was any issue regarding SC/ST employees.

Unsatisfied with the response, Kumar along with JD(U)’s Shyam Rajak and other legislators present in the House, raised an uproar. Even as the minister said that he would consult the members, the opposition accused the government of neglecting SC/ST interest and walked out of the house.

Responding to another call attention motion by BJP MLA Jeevesh Kumar on acceptance of “Bhumihar Brahmins”, as mentioned in the 1931 census, minister-in-charge Bijendra Prasad Yadav said the state commission for upper castes had, in its report, referred only to Brahmin, Rajput, Bhumihar and Kayastha as upper castes within the Hindu community.

He said the commission had discussed the use of the term “Bhumihar Brahmin” last year, but had not sent any formal recommendation to the government, making it inappropriate to decide on adopting the term in the absence of such a recommendation. He added that objections had been raised to the use of “Bhumihar Brahmin” in government documents, and called to immediately halt such misleading terminology and correct previously issued documents.

Dissatisfied with the reply, Jeevesh Kumar and other legislators stood up in protest.