Nearly a 45-day long Budget Session of the Bihar Assembly witnessed a stormy start on Monday as issues like performance of Surya Namaskar at the Government schools and the alleged corruption in the appointment of Vice-Chancellors dominated the first day proceedings in the House.

The “Surya Namaskar”, however, became the focal point of aggressive posturing in the House as members of both the treasury and the opposition benches exchanged sharp barbs on the issue, plunging the House into bedlam for nearly half-an-hour.

As the State Governor Devanand Konwar was in the middle of his customary address to the joint session of the State legislature on the opening day of the Budget Session, RJD member, Akhtarul Iman raised the issue of performance of Surya Namaskar at the Government schools, asking the State Government whether it wanted to persue the RSS agenda in the state.

Remarks of the RJD member infuriated BJP ministers Ashwani Kumar Choubey and Giriraj Singh even as a BJP member, Nitiyanand Rai along

with other members trooped into the well of the

house, demanding an apology from Akhtarul Iman

for his remarks on Surya Namaskar.

Nityanand Rai who was the first to enter into the well of the House said that he will continue to raise the issue until the RJD member offered an apology for his comments in the house. Some senior BJP members, including Arun Kumar, Sinha even tried to pacify the agitating members but they could not

achieve much success in their endeavour.

Meanwhile, senior BJP leader and former Chairman of the state legislative Council, Tarakant Jha told The Pioneer that “Surya Namaskar” should be included in the curriculum of the school education to make children physically strong.

He also thanked the State Government for allowing him to organise the “Surya Namaskar” programme at Moin-ul-Haque Stadium in Patna on Monday to mark the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekanand. At least 10,000 students performed “Surya Namaskar” at the stadium, he added.

Before the RJD member raked up the issue of Surya Namaskar in the state Assembly, Congress MlC  Jyoti raised  from her chair to take up the issue of the alleged corruption in the appointment of VCs in the state. She also quoted huge figures a VC aspirant should pay to get the top university job.

Her behaviour prompted the Governor to remark that she was the only disruptive element present in the house.

She re-occupied her chair after some time but not

before she was cheered by members of both the treasury and the opposition benches for her comments on the alleged corruption in the appointment of V-Cs in the State.

The selection of  VCs in the state had hogged the limelight for all the wrong reasons during the last few  weeks, particularly after the Patna High Court quashed the appointment of VCs and Pro VCS on the ground that the Governor did not consult the State Government before finalising the list of the top functionaries in the universities.

State Chief Minister Nitish Kumar maintained silence even when the controversy reached its flash point after the Governor reinstated sacked VCs without consulting the state government.

He, however, elaborated on the issue during a recent Press conference, expressing his anguish over the Raj Bhawan’s role in the appointment of VCs.

He had said that the prevailing system under which the Governor is mandated to consult state government while appointing VCs should be done away with if the state Governor does not find it appropriate to take the opinion of the government in the matter.