The Bihar Assembly was adjourned twice today as MLAs of the RJD and the Congress demanded action against Union ministers Giriraj Singh and Ashwini Choubey in connection with incidents of communal tension in the state.
The proceedings of the House began with the swearing-in of newly-elected RJD MLA from Jehanabad Kumar Krishna Mohan.
Soon after, an adjournment motion was brought by Congress MLA Ajit Sharma on the issue of alleged involvement of Choubey's son Arijit Shashwat in the events leading to communal clashes in Bhagalpur on Saturday in which three people, including two policemen, were injured.
Shashwat has been named in one of the two FIRs for having taken out a procession without prior permission of the administration.
The House was adjourned yesterday also after opposition MLAs created a ruckus demanding compensation for farmers due to the failure of maize crop and action against the two Union ministers over incidents of communal tension.
As Speaker Vijay Kumar Choudhary decided to proceed with the Question Hour, MLAs of the Congress and its ally, the main opposition RJD, rose from their seats shouting slogans and many of them rushed into the Well of the House.
The opposition MLAs also raised slogans demanding Giriraj Singh's arrest for his controversial remarks in wake of the arrest of two youths in Araria for allegedly raising anti-India slogans while celebrating the RJD's victory in the bypolls.
They also sought action against Giriraj Singh and Bihar BJP chief Nityanand Rai in connection with their recent visit to Darbhanga after the killing of a BJP worker's father.
Party activists accompanying the two leaders had allegedly raised slogans against the local police.
Repeated requests for calm by the speaker and the parliamentary affairs minister failed to pacify the opposition legislators.
Leader of the Opposition Tejashwi Yadav claimed, "Yesterday, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had said that he was opposed to divisive politics, yet he has brought those indulging in such politics into power through the back door".
Tejashwi's remark was in reference to the exit of Kumar from the JD(U)-RJD-Congress alliance last year and his subsequent rejoining of the BJP-led NDA.
The RJD leader pointed towards Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi, seated in the treasury bench, and said, He has categorically said the killing in Darbhanga was in no way related to the naming of a square after Prime Minister Narendra Modi which is also the administration's stand."
"Yet, Singh and Rai have been making statements to the contrary. We want to know who is speaking the truth," he said.
As the bedlam continued, the speaker adjourned the proceedings till 2 pm.
Talking to reporters outside the Assembly, Tejashwi termed as "eyewash" the FIR lodged against Shashwat and claimed, "The IPC sections invoked are clearly aimed at weakening a serious case."
He also asked Nitish Kumar to walk the talk and act against people like Choubey, Singh and Rai who were trying to create communal rift in the society.
As the House met, RJD members continued to demand arrest of the three and party members trooped into the Well and started shouting anti-government slogans.
They created a ruckus that continued for 22 minutes before the speaker again adjourned the House till 4:45 pm.
When the House met for the government's reply on energy department's debate on budgetary allocation for 2018-19, the RJD and the Congress members staged a walkout raising the same demand.
