The second day of the monsoon session in the Bihar assembly on Tuesday witnessed high drama and intense protests by opposition MLAs, who arrived dressed in black to register their opposition to the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls ordered by the Election Commission just months before the state heads for polls.
The opposition benches, led by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Congress and the Left parties under the INDIA bloc, have accused the ruling NDA of manipulating the massive exercise to selectively delete the names of voters seen as unlikely to support the BJP-led coalition.
As soon as the House convened at 11 am, uproarious scenes unfolded, forcing Speaker Nand Kishore Yadav to adjourn proceedings till lunch within minutes.
When the assembly reconvened at 2 pm, the ruckus resumed almost immediately after Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav rose to demand that the House take up an immediate discussion on SIR.
The Speaker refused to allow the debate, prompting the opposition members to leap to their feet, shout slogans and storm into the well of the House. Some MLAs attempted to upturn the furniture used by the reporting staff while others waved placards and posters despite efforts by marshals to maintain order.
Several opposition MLAs were seen jostling marshals who moved into the well to stop the chaos, with one marshal’s headgear even being snatched and flung aside. The ruling side, including Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, watched the unprecedented scenes with visible concern.
Visibly exasperated, Speaker Yadav attempted to rush through the legislative business but repeatedly pleaded with the protesting MLAs to maintain decorum and ensure the safety of House staff.
“Please do not do anything that could cause injury to the staff. Your behaviour is being telecast live, and it would not add to your popularity ahead of elections. Do not compel the Chair to order any stern action,” he was heard telling the agitating legislators.
Barely half an hour after the House reconvened, the Speaker adjourned proceedings for the day. The disruption did not end inside the chamber as angry opposition MLAs staged a sit-in protest outside the Speaker’s chamber, declaring they would not allow the House to function until a full-fledged discussion on the SIR was held.
Later, speaking to journalists, Tejashwi Yadav said the opposition had moved an adjournment motion, but the Speaker declined it. “The issues are significant. The SIR raises several questions, such as what happens to those people who have migrated elsewhere for work but wish to return to vote,” the RJD leader said.
Yadav claimed there were alarming reports of irregularities in the revision process. “At some places, booth-level officers have been found filling and signing forms on behalf of voters. These are grave matters that deserve a fair discussion,” he said.
He reiterated that the monsoon session, the last sitting of the current House before the assembly polls, was the most appropriate platform to voice these concerns.
“The opposition has already approached the Election Commission, but it has failed to address our grievances. Where else should we go, if not the assembly, which is the biggest temple of democracy in Bihar?” asked the former Deputy Chief Minister.
Yadav also expressed dismay over what he described as an attempt to use the SIR exercise to question the citizenship of people.
“I am shocked that despite the Supreme Court’s advice, the EC is not including the Aadhaar card and ration card in the list of acceptable documents. The EC has not even held a press conference. This raises suspicions,” he said.
The opposition leader, however, refused to comment on the resignation of Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and its possible political fallout, saying, “I am not interested in answering queries about that right now.”
Yadav said he had met the Speaker again, suggesting that if time was a constraint, the monsoon session could be extended by an hour to discuss the SIR. “He said he would speak to the ruling side. I understand his limitations, so I have suggested convening a business advisory committee on the issue,” he added.
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