Bihar assembly speaker Awadh Bihari Choudhary on Tuesday suspended Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lawmaker Lakhendra Kumar Roshan for two days for тАЬindecent and unparliamentary behaviourтАЭ after he allegedly broke a mike in the House.
Parliamentary affairs minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary earlier sought RoshanтАЩs apology for the misconduct. тАЬElse, we would have to move a proposal for action. Whatever happened and everyone saw… was not only indecent but totally against the parliamentary decorum. Such actions should not be allowed in the House. People may have objections to many things, but inside the House, there is a system to present oneтАЩs views,тАЭ said the minister.
The speaker asked Roshan to apologise but Opposition leader Vijay Kumar Sinha defended him. Sinha said Roshan was upset over provocative statements from the treasury benches and switching off of his mike. He insisted Roshan did not break the mike but тАЬonly fiddled with itтАЭ hoping it would be switched on.
Sinha said even his mike is often switched off. тАЬIf action has to be taken, why has there been no action on the report of the OppositionтАШs attack on the ChairтАЩs pedestal during the passage of Bihar Special Armed Police Bill, 2021.тАЭ
Deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav said it was unfortunate that Sinha defended the indefensible. тАЬWhatever happened was apparent in the video footage and there is no room for any excuse. But Sinha is doing what is expected of him…his own behaviour has been no different.тАЭ
The speaker gave Roshan the opportunity again to present his viewpoint and asked him if he would like to apologise. But Roshan refused to accept the blame.
тАЬThis is grossly wrong to try and subjugate and humiliate a Dalit MLA [member of legislative assembly]. I cannot do this,тАЭ he said.
The BJP lawmaker trooped into the Well of the House shouting slogans. They later walked out.
The parliamentary affairs minister said Roshan cannot hide his misconduct. тАЬThis is even more distasteful…an MLA tries to use caste to cover his misdeeds. This does greater harm to Dalits, who have icons such as BR Ambedkar to emulate.тАЭ
The BJP lawmakers later staged a sit-in and demanded YadavтАЩs resignation over the alleged land-for-jobs scam.
