Bihar Vidhan Sabha was adjourned three times within minutes after the Speaker tried to go ahead with the day’s proceedings, with the Opposition trooping into the well each time demanding resignation of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over “insult of the National Anthem”.
The CM on Thursday allegedly showed disrespect to the National Anthem when abruptly left the dais ahead of its singing at the inauguration of an international sports. During a programme on Thursday, the CM was seen greeting the people during the national anthem. A video clip of Bihar CM has been doing rounds on social media in which he was spotted moving during the national anthem.
Even a petition was filed before a Bihar court on Friday seeking action against CM.
As soon as the proceedings got underway for discussion on budgetary provision of the rural works department and other departments, the entire Opposition stood up in protest.
Even as the Speaker Nand Kishor Yadav tried to continue with the proceedings, the Opposition members trooped into the well, shouting slogans against CM and trying to topple the reporters’ table, forcing adjournment till 3.30 pm in the second half. The uproar didn’t subdue even after that and the Opposition members brought banners and placards to the well.
However, amid the bedlam, with 12 marshals deployed to protect the reporters’ table, the Speaker carried on to somehow get the ₹11,101-crore budget of the rural works department and other departments passed by voice vote.
In his brief speech, rural works department minister Dr Ashok Choudhary attacked the Opposition for having nothing positive to show and making unsubstantiated allegations against the CM, whose work for Bihar speaks volumes. He laid the budget after short speech as the Opposition started disturbing the reporters’ table and the chairs had to be removed by marshals.
Earlier in the morning the RJD protested strongly against the government in both the houses, legislative assembly and council, on the issue of insult to the National Anthem by the CM.
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav speaking to media on Assembly premises slammed Bihar CM Nitish Kumar for showing disrespect to the National Anthem and once again raised questions on his mental and physical health.
“Bihar CM Nitish Kumar disrespected the National Anthem yesterday and being a ‘Bihari’ I feel ashamed. The CM is the leader of the state and yesterday’s incident is very unfortunate. This is the first incident in the history of Indian politics that a CM has disrespected the National Anthem. Bihar CM Nitish Kumar should apologise to the public of the nation. The leaders of BJP only do drama, where are the two deputy CMs of Bihar? Bihar CM Nitish Kumar should retire,” Tejashwi said.
He said that he had also given an adjournment motion in the assembly against this incident and has demanded that all work should be stopped and a debate should be held on this.
The leader of the opposition had shared a video on social media platform X on Thursday in which Nitish Kumar is seen “talking” to his chief secretary on the stage as the national anthem played out. When the principal secretary to the CM tried to stop him, the CM ignored his intervention and continued with his conversation nudging the officer on his shoulders again and again. Later, Nitish Kumar folded his hands to greet those standing in the front while all others on the stage were in attention for the national anthem.
“You are not mentally and physically stable even for a few seconds and your being in this position in such an unconscious state is a matter of great concern for the state. Do not insult Bihar like this again and again,” he wrote on X.
After the adjournment, the Opposition leaders sat on dharna with placards and banners in the portico outside the Assembly. Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav also carried a placard questioning the mental health of the CM.
In the House, Tejashwi said that he personally had respect for the CM, but if one would insult the ‘Rashtragaan’, India would never tolerate it. “The ‘Ladle’ Mukhyamantri has been frequently insulting women and now he has insulted the Rashtragaan. I don’t mind when he keeps insulting my father and mother, but this is too much,” he added.
Tejashwi said that Bihar is not safe in the hands of CM like Nitish. “PM calls him ‘ladle’. The CM should retire from politics, as it was no more his cup of tea and a big state like Bihar is not safe in his hands.”
RJD state general secretary Ranvijay Sahu and spokesman Ejaz Ahmad said that the Grand Alliance (GA) would organise protests in all the districts across the state against the “insult to Rashtragaan” on March 22 and burn effigy of the CM.
Jan Suraj Party founder Prashant Kishor, who has been questioning the mental heath status of Nitish Kumar openly, said that what was apparent now was being talked about for the last 2-3 years, with senior BJP leader late Sushil Kumar Modi questioning it for the first time and later several leaders did the same.
