RJD calls Bihar bandh Friday to protest police action in Bihar assembly
PATNA: RJD leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav on Thursday gave a call for "Bihar Bandh" on March 26 in protest against forceful eviction of opposition MLAs from the assembly when they were agitating against the police bill two days back.
Yadav further said that the bandh would include matters concerning unemployment and farmers issue on which a call for all India bandh on Friday has been given by the farmers' bodies.
The RJD leader claimed that the bandh has the support of Congress and other opposition parties that included left parties- CPI-ML, CPI(M) and CPI.
"We have given a call for Bihar bandh tomorrow in the state. Though an all-India call has already been given by the farmers' bodies for March 26. We witnessed a black day on March 23, the day when the state government murdered the democracy," Tejashwi said.
"Our MLAs were beaten up by police while holding dharna peacefully in front of the Speakers chamber," the leader of opposition in the assembly told reporters here.
The legislative assembly had witnessed unprecedented chaos when the grand alliance legislators had gheraoed the speaker's chamber literally taking him hostage and their women members had prevented the speaker from taking his seat in the house later.
Videos of the unruly scenes on Tuesday showed opposition members laying seize of speaker's chamber and some of them being bodily evicted by the police and marshals later.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had severely criticised the "unparliamentary" behavior of the opposition MLAs and while emphasizing on the need for the Bihar Special Armed Police Bill, 2021, had said had they debated the legislation the government could have cleared their doubts point-by-point.
Hitting out at the chief minister, the RJD leader said "Kumar is in the last stage of his (political) career.
The post (of CM) is not meant permanently for anybody".
He, however, also warned officials allegedly working at the behest of their political masters and said that they Should know that no one knows as when the government will collapse.
"Bihar police have become JD(U) police," he said while asserting that he is not afraid of them.
"The state government will have to withdraw the 'black legislation' or at least it will have to bring certain amendments to the bill which has been passed forcibly," he said.
The bill has already been passed by both houses of the state legislature.
In reply to a query that action may be taken against them (RJD members) for their misconduct in the assembly on March 23, he said "we are not afraid of any action.
We are not like BJP workers who get frightened by such intimidation".
Highlighting past precedents of gheroe of speaker's chamber, Yadav said "In 1974, socialists had occupied speakers chair and conducted the proceedings during Congress regime but police force was not called inside the assembly.
"Not only this, Karpoori Thakur as CM had referred a bill to select committee after stiff protest from opposition in 1978," Tejashwi said reminding Kumar of the past happenings.
In 1986 when CM Kumar was himself a member of the House, Karpoori Thakur had sat on dharna for three consecutive days in the assembly on the issue of HEC, the 31-year-old son of RJD supremo Lalu Prasad who was not even born then, said while asserting that police was not called inside the house even at that time.