Daijiworld Media Network - Patna
Patna, Feb 24: Tempers flared in the Bihar Legislative Assembly on Tuesday as Chief Minister Nitish Kumar lost his composure following a noisy protest by opposition members who accused his government of running the state with “guns and bullets.”
The commotion began soon after the House assembled at 11 am when RJD MLA Kumar Sarvajeet stood up to protest against the alleged lathi charge on village ‘chowkidars’ (watchmen) a day earlier. The watchmen had been staging a demonstration in Patna demanding a hike in their stipends.
“The ‘chowkidars’ who were demanding a hike in their pay are employees of the Home department. Yet, they were treated in a deplorable fashion yesterday,” Sarvajeet alleged.
Soon, several MLAs of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) rose from their seats and raised slogans of “bandook goli ki sarkar nahin chalegi,” asserting that they would not allow governance by brute force.
The sloganeering appeared to irk the 76-year-old chief minister, who heads the Janata Dal (United) and has had brief alliances with the RJD in the past. Hitting back at the opposition, Kumar said, “Do not talk rubbish. This government will run without any hiccups. Just look at how many of you have been left now.”
His remark was seen as a reference to the RJD’s reduced strength in the 243-member Assembly, where the party currently holds 25 seats following the last elections.
Kumar further reminded the opposition that the RJD had failed to deliver during its tenure in power before being unseated by the NDA led by him in 2005. “You people did nothing worthwhile during the period you were in power. Law and order had been so abysmal that people feared stepping out of their homes after 5 pm. So you better not talk nonsense,” he said.
As the heated exchange continued, some opposition MLAs trooped into the well of the House, briefly disrupting proceedings and plunging the Assembly into turmoil.
The situation was eventually defused after Parliamentary Affairs Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary intervened, assuring the House that representatives of various associations of chowkidars would be invited for talks. “Their demands will be looked into, and appropriate action will be taken,” he said, bringing the agitation to a temporary halt.