A confrontation between ruling NDA and Opposition mahagathbandhan was imminent in Bihar legislative council on Wednesday when Leader of Opposition Rabri Devi squatted in the Well of the House along with members of RJD and other allies for about three hours in retaliation of the suspension of five members of her party for two days by acting Chairman Haroon Rasheed.
But Rasheed retreated and took back his decision when the tension escalated as she continued sitting there even after the closure of the Council and the Opposition MLAs led by Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Tejashwi Prasad Yadav also sat on dharna in the portico of the Upper House.
Rasheed had suspended Dilip Rai, Subodh Kumar, Qamar Alam, Khurshid Mohsin and Radha Charan Sah for continuously disrupting the House and not heeding to the chair’s order, first up to 5pm and then till Friday, the last day of the five-day winter session.
Rabri Devi quickly retaliated by sitting on dharna in the Well of the house and she was joined by members of all opposition parties. The chair adjourned the house but she and others continued sitting there. “We want a debate on law and order and misuse of CBI and we will not allow the house to run any business unless our demands are met,” a combative former CM declared.
Rasheed who came back to meet her and speak to Tejashwi and withdrew his decision of suspension and also assured to look into their demands.
Parliamentary affairs Minister Shrawan Kumar who was also present during the talks said, “The Government is ready to hold debate on the issues once they are brought in any format other than adjournment notice.”
It gave indication that from Thursday normalcy might return to the legislative bodies where hardly any business could be transacted during first three days and now only two days are remaining.
Throughout the day the opposition continued mounting harsh attack on the Government as the Supreme Court’s critical observations against Bihar Government in case related to Muzaffarpur shelter home horror gave them enough ammo to sharpen their attack particularly on CM Nitish Kumar and his deputy Sushil Kumar Modi. The Assembly session was also adjourned during both sittings.
By 6 pm the two terms CM Rabri Devi rose and came out amid slogan shouting. The MLAs sitting on staircases and portico also ended their dharna. She said, “This is the victory of opposition and defeat of Government. They must realize that without opposition the House cannot function.” Added Prem Chandra Mishra of Congress, “Attempt to muzzle the voice of opposition will never succeed in democracy.”
The Rabri Devi led dharna inside the House reminded a nightlong dharna by Karpoori Thakur in mid 80s over the problems in the Ranchi based HEC which was called off next day.
Earlier in the day Tejashwi, who is hammering the Government for two days, said that CM Nitish should be ashamed following the stinging remarks of the Supreme Court as “entire Bihar is feeling ashamed for the rape of minor girls in shelter home and attempts to protect the perpetrators of the crime.”
RJD’s Abdul Bari Siddiqui said CBI at the behest of the Centre implicated Lalu Prasad because he was an icon of anti-BJP campaign. “The reports are coming out that Rakesh Asthana in connivance of PMO, Nitish and Sushil Modi conspired to implicate our leader. And we want a debate on this issue in the House,” he said.