Proceedings in the Bihar Legislative Assembly on Tuesday were disrupted soon after commencement amid protests by opposition members over a police lathi-charge on chowkidars and dafadaars in Patna. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar responded to the protests by addressing legislators of the Rashtriya Janata Dal and advising the opposition not to create unnecessary disruption.
The protest followed a lathi-charge by police on Monday in Patna, where chowkidars and dafadaars were demonstrating over their demands. Legislators of the Rashtriya Janata Dal, led by Lalu Prasad Yadav, staged protests both inside and outside the House against the government over the incident.
Opposition members, including RJD MLA Kumar Sarvjeet, raised slogans in the Assembly and alleged that the government was suppressing legitimate demands of employees and using police force against them.
Amid continued sloganeering, the Chief Minister said in the House that no work had been carried out during the opposition’s tenure and accused them of making baseless statements. He stated that this was the reason their numbers had declined.
Referring to the numerical strength in the Assembly, the Chief Minister said the ruling side was seated with 202 legislators, while the opposition had significantly fewer members. He further stated that the opposition would not return to government in the future.
Following his remarks, opposition members intensified their protest and entered the Well of the House, resulting in further disruption.
During his address, the Chief Minister also referred to the previous government led by the Rashtriya Janata Dal and said that during that period people were afraid to step out after evening and that Bihar had remained backward. He asserted that development was now taking place across sectors in the state, including roads, education, health and law and order. He appealed to the opposition to engage in constructive discussion instead of causing disruption.
As the situation escalated, Assembly Speaker Prem Kumar intervened and directed marshals to remove placards from protesting legislators. Sloganeering continued for some time thereafter.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary said the government would examine the issue concerning chowkidars and dafadaars seriously and assured that their demands would be considered.
Minister Bijendra Prasad Yadav stated that a delegation of chowkidars and dafadaars would be invited for discussions and that the government was prepared for dialogue to address their concerns.
Raju Tiwari demanded an inquiry into the lathi-charge incident and action against those responsible.
Chowkidars and dafadaars have been seeking improvements in wages and service conditions. They have stated that they do not receive adequate honorarium and lack social security benefits. The government has said the matter will be reviewed, while the opposition has described the incident as an administrative failure and indicated that the issue could take further political shape in the coming days.
