Patna, Jul 23 (PTI) High drama unfolded in Bihar Assembly on Wednesday after Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s intervention during leader of the opposition Tejashwi Yadav’s statement on the special intensive revision of electoral rolls triggered a heated exchange.
The situation escalated quickly, prompting Speaker Nand Kishor Yadav to adjourn the proceedings till 2 pm, barely 30 minutes after the House had convened at 11 am.
The Speaker expressed disgust over the conduct of many opposition members, who used unparliamentary language, as also those on the ruling side, who refused to back down despite repeated requests.
The leader of the opposition, who was wearing a black T-shirt as a mark of protest against the Election Commission’s exercise in the state, was allowed by the Speaker to make a statement on the issue, which had evoked protests both inside and outside the House on Tuesday.
Before letting the RJD leader speak, the Speaker remarked, “Yesterday, some very unfortunate incidents took place. Some staff members of the House were also injured. Please ensure that nothing of the sort happens today”.
In his statement, the RJD leader said, “We are not opposed to the special intensive revision per se, but how the Election Commission has been carrying out the exercise is objectionable. Why so late, when elections are just around the corner? They could have conducted it a few months earlier”.
“Only two-three per cent of voters in the state may have the documents that the EC is asking them to produce. What is this fear of fake voters? Does the EC mean to say fake voters have made Narendra Modi the PM and Nitish Kumar the CM. The EC has also not spoken of any foreign nationals in the voters’ list in its affidavit before the Supreme Court”, said the former Deputy CM.
He also sought to know “what would be the fate of nearly 4.5 crore residents of the state who are registered as voters, and come during elections from the places where they are eking out a living. The EC has threatened to strike off the names of people who were not found at their registered addresses”.
The chief minister, who seemed unhappy with the discussion being allowed on the issue, rose in his seat to intervene.
“You are a child. You know nothing of matters like these. Only three days are left of this last session of the House. Let it conduct legislative business. Whatever rubbish you want to speak, you may do it to your heart’s content during elections”, said the longest-serving CM of the state.
The 75-year-old, who has for most part been a BJP ally, except for two short-lived alliances with the RJD-Congress combine, said, “When his (Yadav’s) parents were chief ministers, they did nothing, neither for the women, nor for Muslims, nor any other section of society. The only woman who got something was his mother”.
Cabinet colleagues of the CM, who have of late been making headlines for unrestrained behaviour in public, were seen tugging at his sleeves to make him take his seat.
By the time Kumar got seated, several of the opposition members were on their feet, and those on the ruling side engaged in a shouting match.
When Bhai Virendra, an RJD MLA, used an unparliamentary expression, the Speaker looked peeved.
He told the leader of the opposition, “I have allowed you to make a statement. I am letting others on your side also speak, but you must first make Bhai Virendra apologise”.
Turning towards the ruling side, the Speaker reacted with horror when he saw Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha, a senior BJP leader and a former Speaker himself, screaming at the top of his voice.
The Speaker said, “It is disgusting that you are behaving in this fashion, despite being a deputy CM”, before adjourning the proceedings till lunch.
Later, the leader of the opposition addressed a hurriedly convened press conference at his residence.
“The Speaker had allowed a discussion in which the ruling parties would also have got a chance to express their views. But ministers, and especially Deputy CM Sinha, were more interested in petty politics”, alleged Yadav.
“Fifty-five lakh people have been, so far, declared by the Election Commission as not present at their registered addresses. What is going to be their fate? It is an issue on which the government should share the concerns of the opposition”, said Yadav.
He added, “The deputy CM may have been irked that I exposed the lie his colleague and he have been spreading about inclusion of Bangladeshis in the voters’ list.” When the House reassembled after lunch, members of the opposition trooped into the well, raising slogans and waving placards, but staged a walkout after a few minutes of ruckus. PTI PKD NAC MNB
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