Bihar assembly adjourned over disruptions

The Bihar Assembly was on Monday adjourned till post lunch session, less than 30 minutes after the commencement of the proceedings, as opposition legislators raised slogans and trooped into the well protesting against the baton charge by police on a Congress procession.

As the House assembled at 11 am, opposition MLAs belonging to the Congress, RJD and CPI-ML rushed into the well, shouting slogans against the police action.

Water cannons and tear gas shells were used by police on Sunday to disperse the Congress party leaders and workers who took out "Jan Vedna March" to protest against the alleged anti-people policies of the central government.

Many Congress leaders including some of its MLAs had also sustained injuries in the police action.

Opposition legislators raised slogans condemning the Nitish Kumar government in the state for the same.

Speaker Vijay Kumar Choudhary told the opposition members that he would ask the government to reply, if they raised the issue at an appropriate time but the agitated legislators continued with slogan-shouting and refused to take their seats.

Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav said, "As opposition leaders, it is our duty to raise people's issues and problems inside and outside the House. But the state government tried to muzzle the opposition's voice with the use of force (on Sunday)."

Yadav, who took part in the assembly proceedings after a long gap, also alleged that the protesting Congress leaders were told that their delegation would be taken to Raj Bhavan for submitting the memorandum, but "they were detained at a police station".

As the slogan-shouting continued, the Speaker adjourned the House till 2 pm.