Patna: Proceedings in the Bihar assembly turned acrimonious during question hour on Thursday after a debate over arsenic-contaminated drinking water in Maner constituency escalated into a personal exchange between chief minister Nitish Kumar and RJD MLA Bhai Birendra.
The issue was raised during a question directed at the public health engineering department. While minister Sanjay Kumar Singh was responding on behalf of the government, Bhai Birendra repeatedly stood up to criticise the administration’s handling of arsenic-related illnesses in his constituency, saying he was dissatisfied with the reply.
As the exchange intensified, Kumar intervened from his seat and made a remark about the MLA’s attire, questioning why he was wearing a sweater given the milder weather. The comment drew laughter from some benches but also prompted a sharp response from the opposition member.
Bhai Birendra replied that he was wearing the sweater given to him by the chief minister and made a pointed remark suggesting that Kumar should take his medicines on time so as not to forget such details.
The atmosphere grew more charged when deputy chief minister Samrat Choudhary stood up and asked whether the MLA wanted arsenic water samples to be tested or preferred to accompany the investigation team himself.
The exchange briefly stalled proceedings, underscoring rising tensions between the ruling alliance and the opposition during the ongoing session. The debate eventually returned to the issue of drinking water quality, with the government reiterating that testing and mitigation measures were under way in affected areas.
The incident added to a series of sharp verbal confrontations that have marked recent sittings of the House.
