Bihar assembly Speaker Uday Narain Choudhary Wednesday said his house was pelted with stones by Rashtriya Janata Dal workers because he hails from the Mahadalit caste, the poorest among the Dalits.
"My official residence was attacked with stones by RJD workers because I am a Mahadalit. The attack on my house was not on the speaker, it was on 'Choudhary' who belongs to Mahadalit, a weaker section of society," Choudhary told media persons.
He said his house was attacked Tuesday by RJD workers during a march led by party chief Lalu Prasad and 16 legislators to protest the bid to split the RJD.
"Never before the house of a speaker was attacked in a protected area in Patna," he said.Choudhary refuted the allegations levelled against him by Lalu Prasad.
"I challenge him to prove with evidence," he said in reference to the allegation that he acted in a partial manner by recognising the 13 'rebel' legislators as a separate group in violation of the anti-defection law.
Choudhary said his decision to recognise the legislators as a separate group was interim, and based on "rules and provisions".
Recalling that 13 of 22 RJD legislators submitted a letter with their signatures, demanding recognition as a separate group, the speaker said nine of the 13 submitted letters to the assembly secretary Tuesday, saying they were still with the RJD. "I will study their letters and then give a final decision soon," he said.
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