MLAs fight it out in Bihar Assembly, attempt to overturn tables

The Bihar Assembly witnessed too much drama over the 'Special Status' demand that it almost became a street brawl. Before the proceedings began at 11:00 am, leaders of the RJD, Congress, and Left parties demonstrated in the Assembly Portico with poster banners, emphasizing their longstanding demand for special status for the state, a demand that has been rejected by the Centre already.

RJD leader Prof. Chandrashekhar highlighted that the call for special status is not new. He pointed out that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had previously passed a resolution in both the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council, forwarding it to the Central Government. However, for the last 20 years, the Central Government has not addressed this demand.

Bhai Virendra criticized the Central Government's response, stating that instead of granting special status, the budget for 2024-25 offered negligible concessions, which he metaphorically referred to as a "jhunjhuna." This criticism was echoed by other leaders during their 15-minute demonstration on the assembly premises.

As the Assembly proceedings commenced, opposition leaders intensified their protest during the Question Hour. They approached the podium with posters, vociferously demanding special status for Bihar. The situation escalated when some opposition members attempted to overturn the reporter's table, prompting a stern response from Assembly Speaker Nand Kishore Yadav.

Speaker Yadav condemned the opposition's actions, warning that any attempt to overturn the table would result in the expulsion of the involved members and further disciplinary action. He recounted an incident from the previous day where a reporter, Rahul Yadav, was injured due to similar actions. Yadav emphasized that all members would be allowed to speak, but only if they returned to their seats and adhered to the decorum of the House. Despite his warnings, the opposition's uproar and demonstrations persisted.