Tejashwi Yadav lashes out at Bihar govt on 1st day of monsoon session of Assembly

Yadav, who was flanked by other leaders of the Grand Alliance when he made the statement

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Monday alleged that the honour of elected representatives in Bihar was under attack from a high-handed bureaucracy that has been given a "free run" by the Nitish Kumar government. He made remarks to the effect while talking to reporters outside the Assembly premises on the inaugural day of the monsoon session, soon after chairing a meeting of all legislators of the five-party Grand Alliance helmed by the RJD.

“It is shameful that on a date remembered for the martyrdom of Bhagat Singh, honourable members of the House were hit by boots of police personnel who also physically dragged female legislators," the leader of the opposition said. Yadav was referring to the infamous incident of March 23 when opposition MLAs had held Speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha hostage inside his chamber in protest against a bill that aimed to give more teeth to the Special Armed Police though it was seen as "draconian" by the Grand Alliance.

As marshals seemed overwhelmed by the enormity of restoring order, police was called and the unruly legislators were physically evicted before proceedings resumed and the bill was passed with the opposition in absentia.

Yadav, who was flanked by other leaders of the Grand Alliance which also includes the Congress, the CPI, the CPI(M) and the CPI(ML), lamented that a motion he moved earlier in the day with regard to the incident that took place during the budget session was turned down. "It has come on record. The speaker said that today the business shall be limited to obituary references. Things have come to such a pass that a motion moved by the leader of the opposition is not even considered for debate," he said wryly.

“But we have full faith in the chair. We met the speaker later and informed him that tomorrow we will be moving not one, but two motions. He has given a verbal assurance that our voice will be heard," Yadav claimed.

Defending the outrage expressed by the opposition legislators, who came to the Assembly wearing face masks, some of them even donning helmets, Yadav said, "We had made no mistake by opposing that contentious bill. The Supreme Court has said recently that the rule of law seems to have been replaced with the rule of the police in Bihar. The Patna High Court has called this government mindless."

He reiterated that the suspension of two constables for the March 23 incident was an "eyewash". The RJD leader was also asked about the demand for a caste-based census, an issue which has found him on the same page as Chief Minister Nitish Kumar after the Centre told Parliament that such an exercise was proposed only for SCs and STs. “I would suggest you wait till tomorrow when we bring our two motions," Yadav said cryptically. When asked pointedly whether the demand for a caste-based census would be made in either of the motions, he waved off at the journalists, saying "wait for tomorrow".

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