Bihar Assembly Erupts in Protest Over Special Status Demand on Monsoon Session’s Last Day

Patna: On the final day of the monsoon session in the Bihar Legislative Assembly, the call for special status for Bihar surged both inside and outside the House. As the session began at 11:00 am, leaders from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Congress, and Left parties staged a demonstration at the Assembly Portico, using poster banners to press their demand for special status for the state.

RJD leader Prof. Chandrashekhar highlighted the long-standing nature of the demand, noting that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had previously passed a resolution in the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council, which was forwarded to the Central Government. Despite this, the demand has remained unresolved for the past 20 years.

Bhai Virendra criticized the Central Government’s response, accusing it of offering only symbolic gestures in the 2024-25 budget instead of addressing Bihar’s demands seriously. The demonstration at the Assembly premises lasted for approximately 15 minutes, with protestors clapping and chanting slogans.

As the Assembly proceedings commenced, the opposition leaders continued their protest during the Question Hour. Many opposition members gathered near the Speaker’s chair, brandishing posters and vociferously demanding special status for Bihar.

The Speaker of the Assembly, Nand Kishore Yadav, expressed his frustration with the opposition’s behavior. He issued a stern warning, stating that any attempt to overturn the reporter table would result in the offending members being expelled from the House and facing additional disciplinary action. Yadav recounted an incident from the previous day when a reporter, Rahul Yadav, was injured due to similar disruptive actions.

Despite the Speaker’s warnings, the opposition members persisted with their uproar and demonstrations, creating a tense atmosphere in the Assembly.