Jharkhand assembly adjourned after BJP MLAs create ruckus

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs stage a protest against the Niti Niyojan during the Monsoon Session at Jharkhand Vidhan Sabha, in Ranchi on Monday. ANI Photo

The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party MLAs on Monday raised slogans in the Jharkhand assembly over the alleged deterioration in the law and order situation in the state, after a ruling alliance legislator raised the Manipur issue in the House, PTI reported.

The ruckus led to the first adjournment of the House at around 11.20 am till 12 noon, the report said. It resumed around 12.05 pm but was finally adjourned around 12.30 pm till 11 am on Tuesday after Finance Minister Rameshwar Oraon tabled a supplementary budget for 2023-24 amid an uproar.

As the House proceedings started at around 11.05 am on Monday, MLA Pradip Yadav, who joined Congress after winning the 2019 assembly elections on a JVM-P ticket, raised the Manipur violence issue, alleging that the Centre has maintained a silence on it.

In a sharp reaction to Yadav's allegation, BJP MLAs trooped to the well of the House raising slogans against the alleged deteriorating law and order situation in the state. The saffron party legislators demanded a special debate on law and order issue and they also sought the chief minister's resignation over the issue.

In protest, some Congress legislators also came to the well but they went back to their seats following a request by Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahto.

BJP's Chandakiyari MLA Amar Bauri said that the law and order situation has turned from bad to worse in the state. "Women are not feeling safe in the state. Cases of rape and assaults, particularly against tribal women, have increased in the state and murder is being committed in day broad light," he alleged.

CPI(M) leader Subhash Munda was killed but the administration is yet to arrest the culprits, he said.

"The deteriorating law and order is a very serious issue. We want a debate on this and CM should resign immediately for failing to check crime in the state," Bauri said in the House.

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The Speaker urged the BJP MLAs to go back to their seats and let the question hour function smoothly. When saffron party MLAs did not pay any heed to Speaker's request, he adjourned the House around 11.20 am till 12 noon.

The House again resumed at 12.05 pm with proceedings of zero hours amid ruckus by the saffron party legislators. The MLAs again trooped to the well and sat there raising slogans for CM's resignation. Despite repeated requests by the Speaker, BJP MLAs continued to protest sitting on the well.

The Speaker adjourned the House till 11 am on Tuesday just after Finance Minister Rameshwar Oraon tabled a supplementary budget of Rs 11,988 crore for 2023-24 amid a ruckus.

Earlier in the morning, BJP leaders staged a demonstration outside the main entrance of the Assembly over the issue of domicile, employment policy and law and order. On the other hand, ruling party legislators also staged protests over Manipur violence holding posters and banners.

Senior Congress leader and parliamentary affairs minister Alamgir Alam said that assaults on tribals in Manipur are still on but the Centre as well as Manipur governments have "failed" to control it.

"The Congress has been demanding for discussion on the issue in Lok Sabha but the Central government is escaping," he alleged.

Meanwhile, Jharkhand BJP president and former chief minister Babulal Marandi said that situation of the state is worrying. "Incidents of murder, loot and rape have become common. Criminals have no fear. They are killing people openly," he said.

Marandi alleged, "Tribals are suffering in the entire Santhal Pargana region but Chief Minister is worried about sending his representative to Manipur." (PTI)