Patna: A heated debate in the Bihar legislative council over the alleged rape of a six-year-old girl in Darbhanga descended into chaos on Monday after Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s microphone was reportedly switched off, prompting sharp political exchanges and a controversial remark from senior minister Ashok Choudhary.
The disruption began when members of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Congress moved into the well of the House, demanding the resignation of deputy chief minister Samrat Choudhary over the Darbhanga case. The opposition accused the state government of failing to ensure women’s safety, triggering repeated adjournments and loud protests.
As the uproar intensified, Nitish Kumar intervened, launching a direct attack on the opposition. He accused rival parties of doing “no work” while making baseless allegations against the government. This led to a heated verbal exchange between the chief minister and former chief minister Rabri Devi, an RJD MLC and wife of Lalu Prasad Yadav.
Amid the confrontation, CM’s microphone was allegedly turned off, further inflaming tensions. RJD MLC Sunil Kumar Singh questioned who had ordered the move, asking under whose instructions the chief minister had been silenced.
The incident drew a strong response from Ashok Choudhary, a senior minister in the Nitish Kumar cabinet, whose remarks quickly went viral on social media. Choudhary denied claims that any minister had the authority to switch off the chief minister’s microphone, saying: “No minister has the power to turn off Nitish Kumar’s microphone. If the chief minister even looks sternly at someone, they will be reduced to ashes, especially ministers.”
Choudhary also launched a scathing attack on the opposition, accusing it of hypocrisy on women’s safety. “Those who could not protect their own women, their daughters-in-law and daughters, are now questioning women’s safety in the legislative council,” he said.
Defending the government’s record, Choudhary said arrests in the Darbhanga case had been made within half an hour of the incident. He added that controversial issues such as alleged irregularities in the NEET examination had been handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation to ensure an impartial probe.
Addressing allegations of vote theft raised by opposition parties, Choudhary dismissed them as “baseless” and said that anyone with evidence should approach the courts.
