Bihar Assembly: Uproar Over Special State Status Leads to Multiple Adjournments

Patna: The Bihar Assembly witnessed significant chaos and disruption on Tuesday during the Question Hour, driven by the opposition’s demand for special state status for Bihar. The session was marked by intense sloganeering and physical altercations, leading to three adjournments and heightened security measures.

The uproar began during the Question Hour, which commenced at 11 am. Opposition members, vocally demanding a discussion on the special state status issue, raised slogans in front of the Speaker’s chair. Their protest was so intense that only two questions could be answered before the Assembly was adjourned at 11:15 am, resuming briefly at 12 noon for the Zero Hour.

As the Zero Hour began, opposition members continued their disruptive tactics, creating a ruckus in front of the Speaker’s chair. Within just 15 minutes, the Speaker was compelled to adjourn the House once again, this time until 2 pm.

The scene became increasingly volatile as opposition members attempted to overturn a reporter’s table. To manage the situation, ten marshals were deployed to stabilize the table. An elderly member’s attempt to stand on the table further escalated tensions, prompting a stern warning from the Speaker. The Speaker issued a firm directive: “Don’t force me.”

In a particularly dramatic moment, Congress member Shakeel Ahmed and another legislator brought a plastic rattle into the House and began playing it in front of the Speaker’s chair. The Speaker, visibly agitated, condemned this behavior and ordered the marshal to remove the rattle.

In the midst of the turmoil, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Vijay Chaudhary addressed the House, pointing out that the current opposition members were part of the government during the time when the proposal for special state status was first rejected. He offered to discuss the issue further, but his comments were drowned out by the ongoing chaos.

The opposition had filed three adjournment motions concerning the special state status issue. Despite the Speaker’s request for the opposition members to return to their seats and review the motions, their demands went unmet. Consequently, the Speaker read out the notice regarding the rejection of all three adjournment motions.