RANCHI: Jharkhand assembly speaker Rabindra Nath Mahto on Tuesday suspended till Thursday four Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislators for “showing disrespect” after the opposition lawmakers entered the well of the House demanding chief minister Hemant Soren’s resignation.
As the assembly re-convened after being adjourned for 40 minutes earlier in the morning, BJP chief whip Biranchi Narayan demanded a discussion on corruption.
“The state is getting a bad name with regular reports of loot of coal, stone chips and sand across the state. The assembly representative of the chief minister has been arrested. His press adviser has been summoned for questioning. We request you to allow a discussion on the ongoing rampant corruption,” said Narayan.
Other BJP legislators continued their protest, squatting on the floor of the Well even as Bhawnathpur MLA Bhanu Pratap Shahi started addressing the legislators with his back to the Speaker’s chair.
The speaker ordered the suspension of the four MLAs - Bhanu Pratap Shahi, Dhulu Mahto, Jaiprakash Bhai Patel and Randhir Singh - till Thursday, a day before the ongoing monsoon session ends.
In the second half, BJP legislators questioned the speaker’s decision, arguing that Jaiprakash Bhai Patel was not even present in the House when the alleged incident took place. The speaker promised to look into the facts of the case but refused to revoke their suspension.
{{/usCountry}}In the second half, BJP legislators questioned the speaker’s decision, arguing that Jaiprakash Bhai Patel was not even present in the House when the alleged incident took place. The speaker promised to look into the facts of the case but refused to revoke their suspension.
{{/usCountry}}In protest, BJP legislators entered the Well again, with two legislators, Manish Jaiswal and Amar Bahri, standing on the assembly reporters’ table. Other legislators stood with their back to the speaker, demanding that all of them should be suspended.
The speaker ordered two legislators to be marshalled out for standing on the table. All BJP legislators walked out in protest.
“There is rampant corruption in the state. But this government does not even allow us to raise the issue. They suspended one MLA who was not even present in the House. We will continue to corner this government both inside and outside the Assembly till we uproot them from power,” said BJP legislature party leader Babulal Marandi.
Later, the speaker dismissed BJP allegations that he hadn’t been impartial. “A speaker would never like to suspend any member of the House. Such a step is taken only to maintain the decorum in the House, there is no partiality in this,” Mahato said, according to news agency ANI.