Disruptions mark Jharkhand Assembly monsoon session

The monsoon session of the Jharkhand Assembly was washed out as the opposition parties disrupted the house over different issues and the state government remained non-committal.

It was not much different on Friday, except that the ruling party was aggressive unlike the previous days when the opposition members disrupted proceedings and raised slogans.

When the house assembled on Friday, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party members displayed newspapers that featured articles on violation of land laws by the opposition members.

"Stop grabbing land of the tribal people," the BJP members chanted.

The opposition MLAS responded by raising counter slogans. Some of them trooped to the well of the house.

Opposition Jharkhand Mukti Morcha MLA Stephen Marandi -- whose name figured in the newspaper article -- said: "As per the news report, I have three plots in my name. I request the state government to take over the land".

Leader of Opposition Hemant Soren demanded that the entire list of people possessing such land should be published. Soren indicated that the newspapers have not published the complete list of the people who are accused of violating the land right laws.

As the two sides raised slogans, the Speaker adjourned the house till noon.

When the house reassembled, there were uproarious scenes with both the opposition and treasury benches shouting at each other, with choice use of words. The Speaker ordered the words to be expunged.

When the opposition members trooped to the well, the Speaker adjourned the house till 2 pm.

The monsoon session had started last Friday. However, it was clear that a belligerent opposition will spare no efforts to corner the government.

Several issues were flagged by the opposition -- the domicile policy, the ordinance pertaining to the land laws, changes in the energy policy, custodial death of a teenager, suicide of a police official and alleged exploitation of a tribal girl.

The session witnessed repeated disruptions as the opposition parties sought adjournment motions and raised slogans. The adjournment motions were rejected by the Speaker which further infuriated the opposition parties.

"Neither the ruling party nor the opposition won. It's the house which has been defeated," said Congress MLA Sukhdeo Bhagat.

--IANS

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