Oppn ruckus over 'insult' of Speaker by Nitish paralyses Bihar Assembly
Patna: The alleged insult of Bihar assembly Speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar paralysed the House where ruckus created by the opposition over the issue forced repeated adjournments of the proceedings on Tuesday.
Strangely, both Sinha and Kumar chose not to attend the House which was in turmoil over the showdown between the two on the previous day.
While the speaker remained seated inside his chamber, meeting MLAs who dropped in out of curiosity, the chief minister was away in Maner Sharif, a Sufi shrine on the outskirts of the state capital, where he ducked queries from journalists about the stalemate with a cryptic smile and a wave.
MLAs of the RJD, the principal opposition party, had come to the House wearing black badges as a mark of protest against what they saw as a slight inflicted on the Chair by the head of the government.
They were further provoked upon seeing senior BJP leader Prem Kumar in the Chair, when the House first assembled at 11 AM, and after being adjourned till 2 PM met for the post-lunch session.
Opposition members trooped into the well, shouting slogans like "Nitish Kumar Murdabad" and "Nitish Kumar Hosh Mein Aao", forcing the adjournment of proceedings till 4.50 PM.
Earlier, in the pre-lunch session, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary sought to defend the chief minister, who "acknowledges the importance of the Chair".
"The CM had some issues with regard to the manner in which the House was being conducted. He had expressed his reservations with utmost humility, with folded hands," Chaudhary said taking exception to opposition MLAs' demand for a "safai" (explanation) from the Chair with regard to Sinha's absence.
"The members would question the Chair and it will have to answer? This shows their poor understanding of democratic and legislative norms," Chaudhary remarked before the House plunged into pandemonium forcing adjournment, within minutes of commencement of proceedings.
