Patna: A potential tragedy was narrowly avoided on the fourth day of the Bihar assembly’s budget session after a section of the assembly building’s roof collapsed, forcing lawmakers to raise fresh questions over safety and accountability amid escalating political sparring.
The incident occurred as several MLAs were making their way into the assembly complex. Large pieces of debris fell from the roof of the portico area, narrowly missing those present. No injuries were reported.
The collapse has caused embarrassment for the state government, as the assembly building had undergone renovation ahead of the budget session, with crores of rupees reportedly spent on repair and refurbishment works.
Once proceedings began, RJD MLA Kumar Sarvajeet drew the Speaker’s attention to the incident. He said several members were standing in the portico at the time and narrowly escaped being hit by falling debris, describing the situation as “extremely dangerous”.
Outside the legislative council, the former chief minister Rabri Devi seized on the moment to launch a sharp political attack on the Nitish Kumar-led government. She alleged that the current administration had come to power by “stealing votes”, claiming her party was the “real winner” of the mandate.
“Nitish Kumar formed the government through theft,” Rabri Devi told reporters. “Votes were stolen using machines. That is why they are not removing EVMs.”
Her comments came a day after Nitish Kumar accused RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on the floor of the house of buying and selling six MLAs. Rejecting the charge, Rabri Devi turned the allegation back on the ruling side, claiming that it was the government which engaged in horse-trading by offering huge sums of money to legislators.
“They are the ones who buy and sell MLAs by paying Rs 50 crore each,” she said. “This is happening everywhere, from Haryana onwards.”
The roof collapse, coupled with the heated political exchanges, added to the tense atmosphere of the ongoing budget session, with opposition leaders demanding accountability both for the alleged construction lapses and what they describe as a deeper erosion of democratic norms.
