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Oppn protests ‘red tape’ in J’khand Assembly, AJSU legislator marshalled out
BJP legislators protested in Jharkhand Assembly, accusing the Soren government of losing control over officials, disrupting the session amid heated exchanges.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislators on Tuesday protested in the Jharkhand Assembly over alleged high-handedness and red tape in the state, accusing the Hemant Soren government of having lost control over the executive, a claim the treasury bench outrightly rejected.
Soon after the House assembled, the BJP legislators entered the Well carrying placards and raised slogans, disrupting the Question Hour for the first time since the budget session started on February 19. While Parliamentary affairs minister Radha Krishna Kishore was replying to the charge from the Leader of the Opposition Babulal Marandi, lone AJSU legislator Nirmal Mahto entered the Well and got into a heated exchange with the treasury bench and was eventually marshalled out on the Speaker’s direction.
Raising the issue in the House, Marandi said while the government called itself ‘Abua Sarkar’ (people’s government), on the ground it functioned as ‘Babua Sarkar’ (government run by bureaucrats).
“It seems the babus (government officers) are not under the control of the chief minister and the ministers. The law and order has gone for a toss in the state. A union leader was killed in Dumka recently, the accused are still at large. The Giridh deputy commissioner misbehaved with women staff on Women’s Day. Just remember what happened in Rajrappa temple where policemen were caught on camera mercilessly beating a devotee. A circle officer was caught on camera beating a person in Chatra. I urge the government to hold a special discussion on the issue and take appropriate action,” Marandi said.
Replying on behalf of the government, minister Radha Krishna Kishore termed the Opposition’s protest and charges an attempt to grab news headlines.
“We had a meeting of the business advisory committee yesterday where the LoP was present. He didn’t raise the issue there seeking any special discussion. Today he is raising this just to make newspaper headlines. Action against any official can only be taken once the government is notified. Soon after the Rajrappa incident came to light, the government directed the Ramgarh SP to conduct a probe. After investigation, the SP suspended four policemen and dismissed one. This is a sensitive government that acts when any such incident is brought to light,” said Kishore.
As the minister was speaking, AJSU party legislator Nirmal Mahto interjected countering that there were innumerable cases of high-handedness of government officials. Higher education minister Sudivya Kumar objected to this. Mahto took umbrage to a minister directing him to take his seat, entered the Well, banged the reporters’ table and got into a heated exchange of words with the treasury bench members. As the situation heated up, the Speaker got Mahto marshalled out for his ‘aggressive’ behaviour.
While the LoP and the BJP members objected to the Speaker’s direction and requested the Speaker to recall the member in the House, Congress Legislature Party leader Pradeep Yadav sought Mahto’s suspension from the House for the entire session. “An example must be set so that no other member lowers the parliamentary practice,” said Yadav.
Though the parliamentary affairs minister criticised Mahto’s behaviour, he urged the Speaker to be lenient with the AJSU leader because he was a first-term member. The Speaker later had Mahto recalled in the House.
