RJD MLC Sunil Kumar Singh expelled for 'insulting' CM Nitish Kumar by 'mimicking' him

Patna: RJD leader Sunil Kumar Singh was expelled from the Bihar Legislative Council on Friday, following an incident of unruly behaviour in the House earlier this year.

The motion for Singh's expulsion was passed by voice vote, a day after the Ethics Committee submitted its report to acting chairman Awadhesh Narain Singh.

Singh, considered close to RJD president Lalu Prasad and his family, was charged with raising slogans against Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on February 13, during a heated exchange in the House.

He has also been charged with "insulting the Chief Minister by mimicking his body language" and, upon appearing before the Committee last month, had questioned the competence of its members.

In addition to Singh's expulsion, another RJD Member of the Legislative Council (MLC), Mohd Qari Sohaib, who also engaged in disruptive behaviour on the same day, has been suspended for two days. The report revealed that Sohaib had expressed regret for his actions during the inquiry, whereas Singh remained defiant.

This decision came on the final day of the monsoon session, and Singh's suspension will take effect when the House reconvenes.

Anticipating trouble for Singh, who also heads Bihar State Cooperative Marketing Union (BISCOMAUN), RJD legislators, including Opposition Leader Rabri Devi, arrived at the House wearing black badges to protest.

Talking to reporters outside the House prior to his expulsion, Singh criticised the chief minister, calling him a "vindictive" person who hounded out his critics even if they happened to be his allies.

"You need to look no further than Samrat Choudhary," said the RJD leader, citing the example of the Deputy CM who has been replaced as state BJP chief by a cabinet colleague Dilip Kumar Jaiswal.

However, BJP national media co-convenor Sanjay Mayukh, who is also an MLC, claimed that Choudhary's replacement was "in line with the party's policy of one person being allowed to hold only one post".

Following Singh's expulsion, Rabri Devi, a former CM, denounced the action as a "murder of democracy" and a "dark chapter in history".

She questioned whether the House would dare take action against Kumar, who had allegedly threatened to "destroy" Singh during the heated exchange.

Ashok Kumar Pandey, an RJD MLC and Ethics Committee member, claimed that although the report stated unanimous recommendations, the proceedings were never shared with the committee despite repeated requests.

Chairman Ram Bachan Rai, a JD(U) MLC, was unavailable for comment on this allegation.

Replying to a query on the way forward, Rabri Devi said a decision will be taken by the RJD supremo, who is her husband, and son Tejashwi Yadav, who is the leader of the opposition in the assembly.

Singh also claimed the CM had an axe to grind because "I have been consistently questioning his government, declining offers to switch over to his camp".

The expelled MLC, who had been his party's chief whip, also alleged that the Ethics Committee report was "full of falsehoods".

"I am accused of mimicking the CM. Let them first declare that mimicry is not allowed in the House. And the allegation that I had likened myself to a district magistrate and told Committee members that they were like ADMs who could not question me, is a blatant lie," claimed Singh When the House re-assembled for the post-lunch session, the opposition MLCs requested that Singh be given "at least one opportunity to defend himself".

The request was, however, turned down by the Chair with the observation that "the person concerned has ceased to be a member of the House. Hence, he cannot be called inside".

All the opposition MLCs subsequently staged a walkout.