The Jharkhand Assembly witnessed chaotic scenes on Tuesday as BJP legislators stormed into the well of the House, demanding a special debate on the state’s law and order situation following a violent clash during a Holi procession in Giridih district.
The uproar disrupted the proceedings, forcing Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahato to repeatedly urge the protesting members to allow the question hour to function smoothly. However, as the BJP MLAs continued raising slogans against the JMM-led coalition government, the Speaker was left with no choice but to adjourn the session until noon.
As the Assembly reconvened after the Holi break around 11 am, Leader of Opposition Babulal Marandi raised the issue of the Giridih violence that occurred on March 14.
The clash had left several people injured, while multiple shops and vehicles were set on fire. Marandi accused the state government of indulging in "appeasement politics" and claimed that the administration had remained a silent spectator when the incident took place.
He further alleged that the police had registered an FIR against 80 people and arrested 22 individuals, but their action was biased. According to him, a particular community had been unfairly targeted in the crackdown. "The case should have been lodged against those who actually instigated the violence," he asserted, while also criticizing the overall state of law and order in Jharkhand.
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Expressing concern over upcoming festivals such as Ram Navami and Eid, Marandi emphasized the urgency of discussing the deteriorating law and order situation. "We demand a special debate on this issue in the House. This is a matter of serious concern," he stated.
However, Congress MLA Pradip Yadav countered the BJP’s claims, accusing the party of attempting to create social division along religious lines. Supporting this argument, JMM legislator Sudivya Kumar stated that Marandi had presented a one-sided narrative in the Assembly. "The BJP is trying to incite division and disrupt communal harmony in the state," he alleged.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Radha Krishna Kishore intervened, suggesting that such issues should be discussed during the debate on demands for grants for the Home Department, rather than in an unstructured manner. "Politics should not be played over such sensitive matters," he remarked.
Despite the chaos, the Assembly eventually proceeded with other scheduled business for the day, though the disruption had already affected the proper functioning of the question hour.
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