There was high drama inside the Bihar assembly on Thursday as opposition members conducted parallel “proceedings” in the well, expressing their lack of confidence in the ruling dispensation led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
Several legislators wore black scarves in protest against the CM’s disrespectful behaviour towards women MLAs the previous day, as well as the lathi-charge on Congress workers marching towards the Vidhan Sabha to highlight alleged failures of the NDA government.
Despite the commotion, Speaker Nand Kishor Yadav proceeded with the Question Hour, cautioning unruly members against disrupting the assembly’s decorum.
“These are staff members of the Vidhan Sabha. If anyone gets hurt due to your actions, I will have to take strict action,” warned the Speaker to the opposition members seated in protest in the well.
Mahboob Alam, the CPI(ML) Liberation legislature party leader, sat in a chair and mockingly assumed the role of “Speaker” in the parallel assembly. After the Question Hour concluded, opposition MLAs staged a walkout, alleging their voices were being ignored.
The Speaker read out a number of adjournment motions, moved by members of various opposition parties, and quipped “it is strange that those who moved these motions did not even bother to remain present”.
The Zero Hour was conducted with the opposition in abstentia until the House was adjourned for lunch.
Meanwhile, the issue of the Chief Minister’s conduct towards women MLAs was raised in the Upper House of the state legislature, which adjourned shortly after the session began.
Emerging from the legislative council, the leader of the opposition Rabri Devi lambasted the Chief Minister and his close aide Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan, the Union minister for fisheries, animal husbandry and dairying.
“Nitish Kumar alleges women MLAs in the opposition do not know or understand anything. Lalan accuses me of inability to understand the budget and claims I cannot sign a paper. Both should apologise for such misogynistic remarks”, said Rabri Devi, who is also a former Chief Minister.
