Speaker carries on with Question Hour despite Opposition ruckus in Bihar Assembly

JD-U spokesperson Neeraj Kumar questioned the continued absence of Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav throughout the monsoon session.

The Opposition on Thursday resorted to relentless protest inside the Bihar legislative assembly, despite repeated requests by Speaker Nand Kishore Yadav to maintain calm, over crime, corruption and alleged lathi-charge on Youth Congress workers a day ago. The protests started as soon as the sitting began on the penultimate day of the monsoon session.

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar gestures towards the Opposition in the assembly in Patna. (Santosh Kumar/ HT Photo)

However, despite the din, the Speaker continued with the Question Hour though not much was audible due to the continuous sloganeering. After the Opposition members trooped into the well showing placards, the Marshals were called in before they staged a walkout after the Question Hour ended.

The Opposition, including the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the Congress and the CPI-ML, did not relent through the Question Hour and tried to disturb the reporters’ table and repeatedly banged it, drawing strong warning from the Speaker. The Marshals surrounded the table from all sides to prevent Opposition members from toppling it.

Later, CPI-ML legislators squatted in the well, with party leader Mehboob Alam sitting in a chair to preside and others participating in what appeared to be an attempt to run a parallel House. Some woman Opposition members also wore black bands in protest against chief minister Nitish Kumar’s outburst against a woman legislator on Wednesday and lathi-charge on Youth Congress workers.

“Governance has collapsed in Bihar. There is rampant crime and loot, and we will continue to protest. The way Youth Congress workers were beaten up by police is unacceptable. They were protesting against price rise, corruption and growing crime, but the Nitish government believes in crushing democratic protest,” Congress MLA Pratima Das said.

Another Congress MLA Rajesh Ram claimed that CM Kumar never walks the talk. “He says he cannot compromise with crime, corruption and communalism, but he always compromises on them. He gets the BJP workers beaten up by police when the RJD and Congress are in the government and gets RJD and Congress workers assaulted when the BJP is in the government. He is the person who is responsible for this. He is protecting an IAS officer against whom Enforcement Directorate (ED) carried out raids,” he added.

JD-U, however, hit back, with party spokesperson Neeraj Kumar questioning the continued absence of Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav throughout the monsoon session.