Chaos in Bihar Assembly over student protests, police action in Patna

Both Houses of the Bihar legislature on Thursday witnessed turmoil as members of the ruling NDA and the Opposition traded charges over the violent students’ protest in the State Capital a day earlier.

Proceedings in the Assembly, which began at 11 am, were adjourned by Speaker Prem Kumar till lunch within minutes when several members of the ruling side rose in their seats, blaming the Opposition for the day-long pitched battle between the police and the protesters.

Many of the NDA legislators had trooped into the Well and some of them, including Sanjeev Chaurasia and Vinay Bihari of the BJP and JD(U)’s Manjeet Singh, were seen heading menacingly towards the Opposition MLAs.

The NDA legislators were heard alleging that “goons, not students” were taking part in the “so-called protests” on Wednesday when at least 22 police personnel sustained injuries in a day-long pitched battle, which had ended in a final showdown close to the Chief Minister’s residence.

Emerging from the House after it was adjourned, Opposition MLAs led by Alok Mehta of the RJD told reporters, “The BJP and its allies have not learnt their lessons despite seeing so much public anger. They alleged that protesters were goons, though their own conduct today befitted ruffians. We had to run for our lives.” However, BJP leader and minister Ram Kripal Yadav maintained, “The Congress-led opposition is trying to plunge the country into anarchy. The diabolical plan was on display in Patna yesterday when anti-social elements, posing as students, clashed with police, roughed up journalists and even manhandled a couple of our fellow MLAs. The government will identify the miscreants and take them to task.”

Notably, at least two BJP MLAs, Vinay Bihari and Rohit Pandey, were also attacked by the protesters who spotted them heading for the Assembly to attend the monsoon session, which comes to a close on Friday. Vehicles of the legislators were also damaged by the rampaging mob, and videos of the two MLAs running to safety have gone viral.

In apprehension of further nuisance, gates of the Vidhan Sabha premises were sealed, and legislators, journalists and staff members remained locked inside well after the day’s proceedings had come to an end. Yadav also claimed to have learnt that “a female constable was stabbed with a dagger by one of the criminals who prowled the streets pretending to be student activists”.

“It was all part of a huge conspiracy that was aimed at bringing a bad name to our Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary and, eventually, destabilise the Government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi”, alleged Yadav.

When Patna Senior Superintendent of Police Kartikeya K Sharma was asked about the reported stabbing of a female constable, he replied, “We are looking into it. Action will be taken upon investigation”.

However, CPI(ML) Liberation MLA Sandeep Saurav, who had led the protest, debunked the charge and said, “It is high time that the BJP and its allies realised that the country’s youth is outraged over the brutal repression of Jantar Mantar protests in Delhi where policemen had the temerity to poke sticks into the bodies of girls who were demanding action over NEET exam paper leaks”.

“It is laughable that the NDA, which rules the Centre as well as the State, and has made all the institutions dance to its tunes, is pointing fingers at the opposition. They run the risk of facing greater public fury unless they stop quarrelling with us and get down to solving the problems that have brought our youth out on the streets,” he said.

Meanwhile, uproarious scenes were also seen inside the legislative council after an adjournment motion moved by RJD’s Abdul Bari Siddiqui was rejected by Chairman Awadhesh Narayan Singh.

Soon, a number of the opposition MLCs rushed into the Well, prompting the chairman to adjourn the proceedings till 2.30 pm.

Later, senior JD(U) leader and minister Ashok Choudhary told reporters, “The Government will take action against those involved in unlawful activities yesterday. Of course, they have been instigated by the Opposition parties. We have learnt that BJP workers were attacked by their counterparts in the Congress with sticks fitted with nails”.

Choudhary was referring to the clash that had erupted at Sadaqat Ashram, the state Congress headquarters, where several BJP workers, led by State president Sanjay Saraogi, were demonstrating to register their protest against the gherao of PM Modi’s residence by Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, among others.

However, Siddiqui, whose party is a Congress ally, said, “The ruling dispensation is shutting its eyes to the fact that the atmosphere today is very much like in 1974, when the youth had rallied behind Jayaprakash Narayan and the mass uprising set the tone for the overthrow of the Government a few years later.”