War of words between CM, opposition leader in Bihar Assembly

Image
Press Trust of India Patna
Last Updated : Feb 17 2014 | 8:04 PM IST
The Bihar assembly today witneswed a war of words between Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Opposition leader Nand Kishore Yadav over the minister in-charge replying to certain queries instead of the CM, who held those portfolios.
During a starred question of BJP's Sachindra Prasad Singh, regarding fencing of 'kabrastans' (muslim graveyards), when the Minister in-charge Vijay Kumar Chuadhary rose to speak there was an outcry by the opposition BJP who demanded that the CM, who has Home portfolio, should reply.
As the verbal duel went on, Kumar reminded Opposition leader that this has been in practice since the days BJP was a partner of the government.
"Don't you remember that many questions related to Home, General Administration department, Election department and Cabinet Coordination department under me had been answered by the minister in-charge during NDA regime?" he asked Yadav.
Kumar said since the government is a collective responsibility of the cabinet, it fell within the democratic convention that any minister could be delegated to answer a question of another department.
But, this did not mollify the opposition leader who said, "if you have pain in neck or sore throat due to which you have delegated a minister to answer in his place he should say this to the House."
On this the CM in a lighter vein said "...My neck, throat and stomach are perfectly alright."
The CM's repartee calmed the opposition for some time but they again protested when in-charge minister answered other questions.
Some BJP members like Janak Singh and Binod Narayan Jha refused to ask questions on Home departent as there was no assurance from the treaury bench that these would be replied by the CM.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Feb 17 2014 | 8:04 PM IST

Next Story