Patna: Sixty-four MLAs have been suspended in the Bihar Assembly, which has witnessed the most unbelievable scenes over the last two days. The fact that they were shown on national television, flinging chairs at each other, might have led some to believe that Bihar elected representatives would be on their best behaviour today.
Not so. On Wednesday, slippers were thrown at the Speaker of the Bihar Assembly. Marshals or security guards had to evict Opposition MLAs from the parties headed by Lalu Prasad Yadav and Ram Vilas Paswan. Some could be seen smiling as they were carried out.
The MLAs have been suspended for the rest of the session.
And amid the chaos, Jyoti Singh, a woman MLC belonging to the Congress, threw several flower pots around. She claims she was manhandled by the marshals.
On Tuesday, the Opposition attacked - physically and verbally - members of the government, demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, and his deputy, Sushil Kumar Modi. The Opposition accuses them of embezzling 11,000 crores. To make their point, they decided to throw microphones, desks and chairs around. The "protest" extended to a sleepover with nearly 80 Opposition MLAs curling up on the floor of the Assembly for the night. "We will not lift the agitation till this corrupt government resigns", said RJD leader Shakeel Ahmad Khan.
The protests and accusations are shaped by the fact that Bihar votes for its next government in just a few months. The Opposition seems to view the violence in the Assembly - for two days in a row - as an announcement of sorts of its election campaign.
