Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday sparked a fresh controversy when he made a disparaging comment on a woman MLA amid aggressive protests by the opposition members in the Assembly.
His outburst came as the opposition legislators were protesting on the issues of reservation and the special status of Bihar, and were not letting him speak. A visibly upset CM then bust out at RJD's Rekha Devi, saying, "You are a woman, you do not know anything."
Soon pandemonium broke out and the opposition legislators, particularly those from the RJD, Congress, and Left parties raised slogans, like "Nitish Kumar Hai Hai".
Earlier, as the House assembled at 11 a.m., the opposition members started protesting in the House, demanding the state's amended reservation laws be put in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution, to safeguard it from legal challenges.
CM Nitish Kumar attempted to address the issue, but could not as the opposition continued to protest aggressively.
He urged the opposition to sit and listen to the government's stance, suggesting that the opposition would appreciate the efforts of the government if they understood the reasoning behind them.
The opposition leaders continued to chant slogans, specifically targeting him, saying, "Chief Minister Hai Hai". In response, the CM said, "You are saying Hai Hai to me, then Hai Hai to you too."
This remark elicited laughter from the Assembly members. Despite the brief moment of humour, the opposition remained resolute and moved to the well of the House and continued their protest, demanding special state status and the reinstatement of the 65 per cent reservation policy.
Speaker Nand Kishore Yadav expressed his displeasure over the aggressive protests by the opposition members. He even ordered the removal of Congress MLA Munna Tiwari, which resulted in a physical altercation between the marshal and the MLA. The marshal, acting on the Speaker's instructions, then forcibly removed a poster from Munna Tiwari's hand.
As a result of the aggressive protests, Speaker Nand Kishore Yadav adjourned the House until 2 p.m.
Following these events, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Vijay Chaudhary criticized the opposition, stating that their disruption over the reservation issue was baseless.
Vijay Chaudhary addressed the ongoing protests by the opposition in the Assembly, stating that the government has taken steps to challenge the Patna High Court's decision in the Supreme Court. He emphasized the government's commitment to defending its reservation policy and presenting a strong case in the higher court. However, he criticized the opposition for causing unnecessary disruptions within the Assembly, implying that their protests were not constructive.
(With inputs from IANS)
