MPs demand President's Rule in poll-bound Bihar

A demand for imposition of President’s Rule in Bihar was made by two BJP members and an expelled RJD MP in the lok Sabha on Friday alleging steep deterioration in law and order in the State with incidents of murders, rape and “atrocities against Dalits and Maha Dalits” growing under Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s rule.

One of the BJP members sought a delegation from the Centre to be sent to the State to assess the situation there. Expressing his concern, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Rajiv Pratap Rudy said he would apprise Home Minister Rajnath Singh of the sentiments expressed by the members and if need be, there could be a meeting of the members with him to review the situation. 

The Minster even referred to a case of rape in his constituency in the State. “Unfortunately, it is a State issue...,” the Minister sought to say.BJP members Kirti Azad and Bhola Singh spoke on the issue after Pappu Yadav alias Rajesh Ranjan, who has floated a pro-BJP outfit in the poll-bound State, initiated the matter during the Zero Hour with almost no Opposition member from Bihar attending the House. The suspension of 25 Congress members had again led to protests by MPs from the left, SP and RJD, who raised slogans and staged a walkout from the lok Sabha proceedings.

Yadav claimed that the “shocking murder” of BJP leader Avinash Kumar in Patna on Thursday was the latest of such incidents reflecting a steep decline in the law and order in the State.Expressing concern over the way the police was also behaving, he alleged that the Patna SSP had warned him of an encounter and he was raising a breach of privilege on the matter.

Yadav demanded that the State should be brought under the President’s Rule and the incidents should be investigated by the CBI. He claimed that no free and fair Assembly poll would be possible if it was not held under Central rule.Seconding Pappu Yadav, Azad also stressed  the need for Central rule. He complained of the growing illicit liquor trade in the Mithalanchal region.Bhola Singh sought a high-level delegation should be sent to Bihar to take a view of the law and order situation there.