RJD MLCs demonstrate before Council

RJD members of the Bihar Legislative Council today staged demonstration for two hours in front of its entrance in protest against a party MLC being asked to go out by the Chair who took exception to his creating ruckus in the House.

RJD national vice-president and MLC Rabri Devi led the demonstration.

Trouble began as soon as the House assembled at noon, with officiating Chairman Haroon Rashid choosing to move ahead with the proceedings though RJD MLC Sanjay Prasad had moved an adjournment motion on deteriorating law and order in Bihar.

RJD legislators rose on their feet, demanding that the motion be debated and many of them rushed into the well raising slogans against the Nitish Kumar government.

Rashid asked the members to go back to their seats and lost his cool at one of them Subodh Kumar whom he asked to leave the House.

RJD MLCs then staged a walkout alleging that the government was trying to silence the opposition.

Rabri Devi and other MLCs of her party then sat on a dharna in front of the main entrance to the Council and raised slogans alleging that the Chair had acted as per the diktats of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his deputy Sushil Kumar.

Rabri Devi also reacted to a statement by Union minister Giriraj Singh in New Delhi in response to her demand yesterday that he be restrained from entering Bihar until the upcoming Ramnavami festival in view of some of his recent comments which allegedly led to communal tension.

Singh, however, said in a news channel, "I belong to Bihar and got elected to the Parliament from there. Nobody can stop me from entering the state, be it Rabri Devi or her party colleagues. I will be visiting Bihar on March 24."