Patna: Proceedings in the Bihar Legislative Assembly were disrupted on Tuesday after a heated confrontation between chief minister Nitish Kumar and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MLA Bhai Virendra triggered uproar during the ongoing budget session.
The confrontation followed opposition allegations of a police baton charge on village watchmen (chowkidars) during a protest on Monday. RJD legislator Kumar Sarvjeet described the action as “brutal” and warned that such incidents reflected poorly on the government’s functioning, prompting vocal protests from opposition benches.
Parliamentary affairs minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary rejected the criticism, arguing that the administration remained committed to addressing the concerns of chowkidars and dafadaars. Nitish Kumar intervened during the exchange, asking Bhai Virendra to resume his seat and remarking that the opposition’s numbers were limited and its record lacking substantive achievements.
As tensions escalated, RJD legislators entered the well of the House and raised slogans against the chief minister. Marshals were called in to remove placards while the Speaker repeatedly appealed for calm before opposition members eventually returned to their seats, allowing proceedings to continue.
The government maintained that it had not attempted to suppress the chowkidar protest and would examine their demands. Amid the disruption, the House also discussed policy matters, including plans to introduce disaster management studies in educational institutions and a Rs 40 crore allocation for installing sanitary vending machines in schools across the state.
Political friction extended beyond the chamber, with opposition MLAs staging a demonstration in the Assembly portico before the session began. Commenting on the scheduled visit of Union home minister Amit Shah to Bihar on Wednesday, Bhai Virendra accused him of pursuing divisive politics and making election-driven visits.
In a separate interaction with reporters, Bhai Virendra reacted sharply to questions regarding earlier remarks about nominating Hina Shahab, wife of late former MP Mohammad Shahabuddin, to the Rajya Sabha, and was seen pushing aside a journalist’s microphone.
