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Panel yet to decide on namaaz room allocation in J’khand assembly building
On the last day of the monsoon session on September 9, the Speaker formed an all-party committee chaired by senior JMM legislator Stephen Marandi to review the decision of notifying a dedicated namaaz room for Muslims in the assembly building and submit its recommendation in 45 days.
The seven-member committee constituted by Jharkhand assembly Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahto is yet to take a decision on the controversial namaaz room allocation in the House that witnessed almost a complete washout of monsoon session as the opposition BJP was up in arms against the notification.
On the last day of the monsoon session on September 9, the Speaker formed an all-party committee chaired by senior JMM legislator Stephen Marandi to review the decision of notifying a dedicated namaaz room for Muslims in the assembly building and submit its recommendation in 45 days.
Marandi said he would soon be convening a meeting of the panel to discuss the issue.
“In our first meeting, we had decided to seek information from legislative assemblies in neighbouring states about any such provision there. I will check with officials about the latest update and call a meeting of the committee accordingly,” said Marandi.
Sources said joint secretary of Jharkhand assembly, Ranjeet Kumar, had written to assemblies of Bihar, Odisha and West Bengal seeking details of, if any, space allocation for religious prayers, functions on the assembly premises.
The notification issued by Jharkhand assembly dedicating a separate room for offering Namaz on September 2 had led to a political storm in the state with the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) consistently disrupting proceedings in the House during the monsoon session, doing Kirtan and chanting Hanuman Chalisa.
Police had even lathi-charged BJP workers and leaders protesting near the assembly when they tried to march ahead by breaking barricades, injuring several of them.
On the request of JMM legislator Sarfaraz Ahmed, Speaker agreed to form an all-party committee to deliberate on the issue and suggest move forward.
The BJP, however, said they would continue with their protest until the decision is withdrawn. “If a decision is not taken, it would mean we were kept in dark just to delay the issue. Our party would continue our protest in winter session if the notification is not withdrawn,” said Biranchi Narayan, chief whip, BJP.
