An alleged scam, involving a Bhagalpur-based NGO, rocked both the state Assembly and the Legislative Council in Bihar for the second consecutive day today with opposition Congress and RJD demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his deputy Sushil Kumar Modi.
As soon as the Assembly met for the day, Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav drew the attention of Speaker Vijay Kumar Chaudhary to the adjournment notice given by the RJD MLAs over the "scam" and urged him to suspend the Question Hour and take up the issue.
He demanded the resignation of Kumar and Modi over the "scam" and was frequently heard using the expression, "khajana chor" (treasury thief), to describe the chief minister and the deputy chief minister.
At one point, when the speaker asked him to raise the issue at an appropriate time, when the notice would be taken up and the government would give its reply, Tejashwi, amid slogan-shouting by the RJD and Congress MLAs, was heard saying, "What reply will come from the khajana chor."
Kumar was not present in the House as he was on a tour of the flood-hit areas of Kisanganj, Araria and Katihar, but Modi was.
The deputy chief minister hoped that the speaker would expunge Tejashwi's "khajana chor" remarks from the records.
The speaker said the adjournment notice would be allowed "at a proper time" and urged the agitating members to allow the proceedings of the House to go on.
But, the RJD members rushed to the Well raising slogans and demanding the resignation of Kumar and Modi. The Congress legislators too joined them.
The opposition members claimed that photographs of Kumar and Modi were used at a function organised by the NGO, 'Srijan', in Bhagalpur and alleged that government money was "fraudulently" transferred to the NGO's bank accounts by a "well-oiled racket comprising government employees and bank officials".
As they continued raising slogans, the speaker adjourned the House till 2 pm.
During the post-recess session, the RJD and Congress MLAs again raised the issue vociferously.
Amid the din, the House was adjourned for the day.
State minister and BJP leader Nand Kishore Yadav, in an apparent reference to Tejashwi, said, "Those involved in corruption cases should have some shame before making such comments."
Later, talking to reporters, Modi hoped that the speaker, while going through the proceedings of the day, would himself order the deletion of the words ("khajana chor").
He claimed that Tejashwi's "anger" was due to the "frustration of power slipping out of his hands in a short period of 18 months".
Yadav rebutted Tejashwi saying, "Those acquiring benami properties through corrupt means have no moral right to speak on such matters."
In the legislative council, the matter was raised by Congress legislator Dilip Kumar Chaudhary and the RJD and Congress members rushed to the Well shouting slogans against the government.
RJD leader Rabri Devi too attacked Modi over the "scam".
Later, talking to reporters outside the House, she too demanded the resignation of Kumar and Modi.
The issue was raised during the post-recess session too by the RJD and Congress legislators. With the din paralysing the proceedings, deputy chairman Harun Rashid adjourned the House for the day.
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content
