RANCHI: The Jharkhand Assembly on Tuesday witnessed an uproar over the clash between the two groups in Giridih during the Holi procession, with BJP legislators trooping into the well of the House and demanding a special debate over the state's law and order situation in the state.
Despite repeated requests by Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahato, the BJP MLAs continued to raise slogans against the JMM-led coalition government and disrupted the House not letting the question hour take place. Unable to run the House, the Speaker adjourned proceedings till noon.
Notably, several people were injured after a clash broke out between two groups during a Holi procession in Giridih on Friday, during which, at least three shops were allegedly torched by the unruly mob. The incident took place during the passing of a Holi procession in Ghodthamba when it was opposed by a group, leading to a clash.
Leader of the Opposition, Babulal Marandi, alleged that the incident occurred in a planned manner, further adding that when people were moving forward while playing Holi, police stopped them while miscreants threw stones, and hurled petrol bombs at them. Meanwhile, the police remained mute spectators without taking any concrete action against the miscreants, he said.
Marandi also charged the Hemant Soren government of practising the politics of appeasement, stating that it had gone too far.
“An FIR has been filed against 80 people, with 40 Hindus and 40 Muslims among them. Of the 22 arrested, 11 were Hindus and 11 were Muslims,” said Marandi. Hindus were going to play Holi and neither had stones nor petrol bombs in their hands; therefore, action should be taken against those who tried to disturb the communal harmony, he added.
Marandi then insisted on holding a debate on law and order, highlighting that law and order in the state was deteriorating, especially with upcoming events such as Eid, Sarhul, and Ram Navami. He requested that the debate be held instead of the question hour.
“Looking at the seriousness of the matter, I would insist that a debate on the incident of Giridih should be conducted in the House instead of the question hour,” said Marandi.
Earlier on March 10, the Jharkhand Assembly had witnessed uproar as the MLAs stormed the well of the House and raised slogans against the government following the BJP MLAs’ allegations of “lawlessness” in the state.
Citing the incidents of Ranchi, Mandar, and Hazaribagh, Marandi claimed that such a deteriorating law and order situation had never been seen in the past 25 years. Marandi also highlighted the recent shooting of coal trader Vipin Mishra in Ranchi and the cold-blooded murder of NTPC DGM in Hazaribagh, questioning the government’s response to the increasing crime rate.