Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislators organised a brief sit-in protest outside the House, raising a host of issues to corner the Hemant Soren government, even as the first day of the monsoon session was adjourned on Friday after obituary references were made to eminent personalities, including former elected representatives who died recently.
During the six-day session, likely to be the last session of the fifth assembly, Speaker Rabindranath Mahto said that the first supplementary Budget for 2024-25 will be tabled, and several bills will be presented.
Stating that the previous sessions had been productive, and he expected the same from members in this session, the Speaker said that the people have been allowed to serve both the ruling dispensation and the Opposition.
“This is the ornament of democracy. Though the session is scheduled for a brief period, it is very important. The Fifth Jharkhand Vidhan Sabha, which began on January 6, 2020, is heading to a close with members in the previous sessions showing good conduct and work reaching higher standards. Their presentation following parliamentary tradition has been praiseworthy. We tried to fulfil the aspirations of the state’s 35 million population,” Mahto added.
The Speaker also informed the House that Raj Bhawan returned the Jharkhand Finance Bill 2022 with a message containing the legal opinion of the Attorney General of India.
Later, after paying obituaries to eminent persons and common citizens who died after the last session, the House was adjourned.
Meanwhile, the BJP legislators protested outside the House, raising a host of issues, including corruption, law and order, alleged Bangladeshi infiltration, and the “non-fulfilment” of promises by the government, including employment to youth.
“The tribal population declined to 28 per cent in 2011 from the earlier 44.67 per cent, and the Muslim population rose from 9.44 per cent to 22.73 per cent in Santhal Parganas,” Jharkhand BJP chief Babulal Marandi said before the start of the session.
BJP chief whip Biranchi Narayan said they would expose the government in the session. “They have cheated the people of the state and have failed to fulfil the electoral promises, be it giving five lakh jobs to youth or giving them unemployment allowance. Corruption is rampant in the state while the demography is changing in Santhal Parganas due to vote bank politics of the ruling dispensation,” added Biranchi.
Reacting to the allegations, state health minister Banna Gupta said the government would answer all the questions.
“They are desperate. The last time they gave a call of winning 65 seats, they got 25. This time they have aimed for 55, they will get 15. Therefore, they are just looking to set a false narrative. If there is any infiltration of illegal migrants, then the onus lies on the Centre, and the Union Home Minister should take responsibility and resign,” Gupta told reporters.
