Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar addresses the Bihar Assembly on electricity tariff. He says, “…I have been saying since the beginning that it will not be given for free. We provide it at a very low price. In some states, they announce that they will provide it for free but we never said that…”
Tag: Bihar assembly
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Bihar Assembly floor test: Jitan Ram Manjhi after HAM issues whip ahead of Bihar Assembly floor test: ‘We might be poor but…’ – The Economic Times Video
Former Bihar chief minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) founder, Jitan Ram Manjhi, on Saturday informed that a whip has been issued by the party to its four MLAs instructing them to vote in favour of the NDA government during the upcoming trust vote in the state.
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Uproar in Bihar assembly over ED raids at residences of Tejashwi, family members
Express News Service
PATNA: The Bihar assembly witnessed noisy scenes over the recent Enforcement Directorate (ED)’s raids on the residential premises of deputy chief minister Tejashwi and others as RJD demanded the enactment of a law to stop central agencies from conducting raids without prior permission from the state government.
As the House was re-assembled after Holi vacation and ED raids on the premises of Tejashwi’s residence in New Delhi, his three sisters and associates of RJD chief Lalu Prasad in connection with money laundering case related to the alleged land-for-jobs scam, RJD MLA Bhai Birendra said that legal provisions should be made, making it mandatory for ED and CBI to take prior permission from the state government before taking any action in the state. He said that such provisions had been made in West Bengal and other states and these should be made in Bihar too.
CBI had also recently questioned former chief minister Rabri Devi in the state capital and Lalu Prasad in New Delhi in connection with the land-for-jobs scam.
It is alleged that those wishing to secure group ‘D’ posts in the railway gifted or sold land parcels at cheap rates to the Lalu family when the RJD chief was the railway minister in the former UPA-I government from 2004 to 2009.
Addressing the speaker Awadh Bihari Choudhary, RJD MLA Bhai Birendra said that the Centre was misusing the central agencies like ED and CBI. He also appealed to the chief minister Nitish Kumar who was present in the house to enact a law to make it mandatory for the central agencies to take prior permission from the state government before taking any action in the state.
The speaker, however, asked the RJD MLA to resume his seat and let the house conduct its normal proceedings.
MLAs belonging to Congress and left parties also registered their protest in the House against the questioning of Lalu and his associates in the case. MLAs from CPI (ML) and other left parties carrying placards demanded a check on the ED raids. They also alleged that the raids conducted on the premises ofLalu and his family members were politically motivated.
Congress legislative party leader Ajit Sharma alleged that the Centre was misusing ED and CBI as it was perturbed over the grand alliance`s ‘edge’ on Bihar`s all 40 Lok Sabha seats. Attempts are being made by the Centre to harass the state`s opposition parties which are getting stronger all the time, he added.
On the other hand, BJP MLA Haribhushan Thakur Bachol said Tejashwi should resign from the post for the sake of an “impartial” probe in a money laundering case related to the land-for-jobs scam. He contended that Tejashwi could influence the investigation into the case if he continued in his post.
Meanwhile, Tejashwi returned from New Delhi on Monday and met with Nitish who was sitting in his official chamber of the assembly. He apprised the CM of details of ED raids conducted at his residence and also at the residences of his sisters.
Tejashwi later tweeted, “We are not ‘fake entire political science people but socialist people of real public science. We have political land (strength), courage and character to fight against BJP leaders’ falsehoods, rumours and fake political cases. Listen Sanghis, we have people’s power if you have money powerand guile.”
PATNA: The Bihar assembly witnessed noisy scenes over the recent Enforcement Directorate (ED)’s raids on the residential premises of deputy chief minister Tejashwi and others as RJD demanded the enactment of a law to stop central agencies from conducting raids without prior permission from the state government.
As the House was re-assembled after Holi vacation and ED raids on the premises of Tejashwi’s residence in New Delhi, his three sisters and associates of RJD chief Lalu Prasad in connection with money laundering case related to the alleged land-for-jobs scam, RJD MLA Bhai Birendra said that legal provisions should be made, making it mandatory for ED and CBI to take prior permission from the state government before taking any action in the state. He said that such provisions had been made in West Bengal and other states and these should be made in Bihar too.
CBI had also recently questioned former chief minister Rabri Devi in the state capital and Lalu Prasad in New Delhi in connection with the land-for-jobs scam.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });
It is alleged that those wishing to secure group ‘D’ posts in the railway gifted or sold land parcels at cheap rates to the Lalu family when the RJD chief was the railway minister in the former UPA-I government from 2004 to 2009.
Addressing the speaker Awadh Bihari Choudhary, RJD MLA Bhai Birendra said that the Centre was misusing the central agencies like ED and CBI. He also appealed to the chief minister Nitish Kumar who was present in the house to enact a law to make it mandatory for the central agencies to take prior permission from the state government before taking any action in the state.
The speaker, however, asked the RJD MLA to resume his seat and let the house conduct its normal proceedings.
MLAs belonging to Congress and left parties also registered their protest in the House against the questioning of Lalu and his associates in the case. MLAs from CPI (ML) and other left parties carrying placards demanded a check on the ED raids. They also alleged that the raids conducted on the premises of
Lalu and his family members were politically motivated.Congress legislative party leader Ajit Sharma alleged that the Centre was misusing ED and CBI as it was perturbed over the grand alliance`s ‘edge’ on Bihar`s all 40 Lok Sabha seats. Attempts are being made by the Centre to harass the state`s opposition parties which are getting stronger all the time, he added.
On the other hand, BJP MLA Haribhushan Thakur Bachol said Tejashwi should resign from the post for the sake of an “impartial” probe in a money laundering case related to the land-for-jobs scam. He contended that Tejashwi could influence the investigation into the case if he continued in his post.
Meanwhile, Tejashwi returned from New Delhi on Monday and met with Nitish who was sitting in his official chamber of the assembly. He apprised the CM of details of ED raids conducted at his residence and also at the residences of his sisters.
Tejashwi later tweeted, “We are not ‘fake entire political science people but socialist people of real public science. We have political land (strength), courage and character to fight against BJP leaders’ falsehoods, rumours and fake political cases. Listen Sanghis, we have people’s power if you have money power
and guile.” -
Bihar assembly Speaker sticks to post as he faces no-confidence motion
By Express News Service
PATNA: All eyes are set on Bihar assembly speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha against whom ruling RJD members have moved ‘no trust motion’, likely to be taken up in case he does not resign by August 24 when the RJD-led grand alliance or Mahagathbandhan government goes for a floor test.
According to the rule, a Speaker can be removed from office by a resolution of the Assembly passed by a majority. While the seven constituents of the RJD-led Mahagathbandhan have a total of 164 members in the Assembly, the BJP has 77 MLAs.
The outgoing state legislative council chairman Awadhesh Narayan Singh has also not resigned from his post so far. Meanwhile, RJD and JD (U) have reached a consensus on the names of the Bihar assemblyspeaker and state legislative council chairman.
While veteran RJD leader Awadh Bihari Choudhary is likely to be assembly speaker, Devesh Chandra Thakur most probably will be the next state legislative council chairman.
Choudhary as RJD candidate had defeated his BJP rival and former party MP Om Prakash Yadav from Siwan in the last assembly election. A five-time RJD MLA from Siwan, Choudhary had also contested for the post of assembly speaker after the last assembly election but he was defeated by the BJPcandidate Sinha.
Election for the post of speaker was also surrounded by a controversy when former deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi had shared a one-and-a-half-minute-long clip on his official Twitter handle. In the audio-tape, the RJD chief is purportedly trying to persuade a BJP legislator to abstainfrom the vote.
JD (U) is the single largest party in the Bihar legislative council and Devesh Chandra Thakur is nominated as a candidate for the Bihar legislative council chairman, he is tipped to become the next chairman of the upper house.
Thakur had won the MLC election as an Independent candidate from Tirhut graduate constituency in 2002. In 2004, he joined JD (U). Later, he again emerged victorious in the MLC election from Tirhut graduate constituency in 2008.
Same year, Thakur was made state disaster management minister in the Nitish Kumar cabinet. In 2014, he again entered into the upper house as an Independent member while he had won MLC election from Tirhut graduate constituency for one more time in 2020. So, it is his fourth term in the state legislative council.
PATNA: All eyes are set on Bihar assembly speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha against whom ruling RJD members have moved ‘no trust motion’, likely to be taken up in case he does not resign by August 24 when the RJD-led grand alliance or Mahagathbandhan government goes for a floor test.
According to the rule, a Speaker can be removed from office by a resolution of the Assembly passed by a majority. While the seven constituents of the RJD-led Mahagathbandhan have a total of 164 members in the Assembly, the BJP has 77 MLAs.
The outgoing state legislative council chairman Awadhesh Narayan Singh has also not resigned from his post so far. Meanwhile, RJD and JD (U) have reached a consensus on the names of the Bihar assembly
speaker and state legislative council chairman.While veteran RJD leader Awadh Bihari Choudhary is likely to be assembly speaker, Devesh Chandra Thakur most probably will be the next state legislative council chairman.
Choudhary as RJD candidate had defeated his BJP rival and former party MP Om Prakash Yadav from Siwan in the last assembly election. A five-time RJD MLA from Siwan, Choudhary had also contested for the post of assembly speaker after the last assembly election but he was defeated by the BJP
candidate Sinha.Election for the post of speaker was also surrounded by a controversy when former deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi had shared a one-and-a-half-minute-long clip on his official Twitter handle. In the audio-tape, the RJD chief is purportedly trying to persuade a BJP legislator to abstain
from the vote.JD (U) is the single largest party in the Bihar legislative council and Devesh Chandra Thakur is nominated as a candidate for the Bihar legislative council chairman, he is tipped to become the next chairman of the upper house.
Thakur had won the MLC election as an Independent candidate from Tirhut graduate constituency in 2002. In 2004, he joined JD (U). Later, he again emerged victorious in the MLC election from Tirhut graduate constituency in 2008.
Same year, Thakur was made state disaster management minister in the Nitish Kumar cabinet. In 2014, he again entered into the upper house as an Independent member while he had won MLC election from Tirhut graduate constituency for one more time in 2020. So, it is his fourth term in the state legislative council.
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Nitish Kumar claims support of 164 MLAs of 7 Mahagathbandhan parties to form govt
By ANI
PATNA: Janata Dal-United leader Nitish Kumar on Tuesday staked claim to form the next government in Bihar with the support of seven parties after he broke alliance with BJP and resigned as Chief Minister.
He said there are seven parties including RJD who are supporting him. “I came here to meet Governor and gave my resignation. There are 7 parties including 164 MLAs along with Independents in Mahagathbandahan,” Kumar told reporters. He was accompanied by RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav.
The JD(U) and RJD, who together constitute a majority in the 243-member state assembly. JD(U) has 45 and the RJD has 79 MLAs. They also have the support of smaller parties like Jitan Manjhi’s HAM. The BJP has 77 MLAs in the state assembly.
Nitish Kumar earlier in the day broke his alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) following a meeting of JD-U leaders and legislators. He then sought time from Governor Phagu Chauhan and tendered his resignation.
According to sources, many JD(U) legislators told Kumar in today’s meeting that the alliance with the BJP had weakened the party since 2020.
Without naming Chirag Paswan, the legislators are reported to have recalled the actions of the former Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief during the 2020 state assembly polls while warning Kumar that if they were not alert, it would not be good for the party.
A meeting of the RJD-led opposition alliance was also held at former chief minister Rabri Devi’s residence. The meeting authorised Tejashwi Yadav to take an appropriate decision on government formation in Bihar.
PATNA: Janata Dal-United leader Nitish Kumar on Tuesday staked claim to form the next government in Bihar with the support of seven parties after he broke alliance with BJP and resigned as Chief Minister.
He said there are seven parties including RJD who are supporting him. “I came here to meet Governor and gave my resignation. There are 7 parties including 164 MLAs along with Independents in Mahagathbandahan,” Kumar told reporters. He was accompanied by RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav.
The JD(U) and RJD, who together constitute a majority in the 243-member state assembly. JD(U) has 45 and the RJD has 79 MLAs. They also have the support of smaller parties like Jitan Manjhi’s HAM. The BJP has 77 MLAs in the state assembly.
Nitish Kumar earlier in the day broke his alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) following a meeting of JD-U leaders and legislators. He then sought time from Governor Phagu Chauhan and tendered his resignation.
According to sources, many JD(U) legislators told Kumar in today’s meeting that the alliance with the BJP had weakened the party since 2020.
Without naming Chirag Paswan, the legislators are reported to have recalled the actions of the former Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief during the 2020 state assembly polls while warning Kumar that if they were not alert, it would not be good for the party.
A meeting of the RJD-led opposition alliance was also held at former chief minister Rabri Devi’s residence. The meeting authorised Tejashwi Yadav to take an appropriate decision on government formation in Bihar.
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BJP MLA’s remarks against Muslims lead to opposition walkout in Bihar Assembly
By PTI
PATNA: The Bihar Assembly on Monday witnessed repeated clashes between MLAs of the BJP, which is part of the ruling NDA in the state, and the opposition over issues relating to the Muslim community.
The question hour saw BJP MLAs on their feet demanding fencing of shamshan ghats’ (cremation grounds) on government expenses, provoked by an RJD legislator raising the issue of kabristaans’ (burial grounds).
RJD MLA Shamim Ahmad had said delay in fencing of burial grounds often left these vulnerable to mischief from anti-social elements, and requested that legislators be allowed to facilitate the work from their local area development funds.
Minister Bijendra Kumar Yadav rose to reply on behalf of the government and submitted that district-level committees headed by respective collectors were in place to identify sensitive burial grounds.
He, however, said so far the government has not considered the option of allowing legislators to get the job done through their respective funds.
The House plunged into turmoil as some BJP MLAs rose in their seats, demanding that the government also similarly undertake fencing of the shamshaan ghats’ and temples.
“This is the type of communalism for which the BJP is known. Raking up shamshan’, Pakistan at the drop of the hat,” rued RJD MLA Nehaluddin outside the House later.
Haribhushan Thakur Bachaul, the BJP MLA who was recently in news for suggesting that Muslims should be stripped of voting rights if they refused to sing Vande Mataram’, told reporters “we raised the issue of shamshan’ and mandir because these to need to be secure. We will continue doing so.”
Post-lunch, the House got down to debate on the second supplementary budget, but chaos followed again after BJP MLA Kumar Shailendra used an unparliamentary word for Muslims.
Opposition MLAs trooped into the well raising slogans in protest.
Former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, who is with the ruling NDA, said it was indeed objectionable to use disparaging words about a community.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary concurred and urged Speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha that the remark be expunged from the proceedings of the House.
The Speaker said suitable action will be taken in the matter, though the opposition remained dissatisfied and staged a walkout.
The debate carried on with the opposition in absentia, and the second supplementary budget was passed by voice vote.
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Options open on state-specific caste census if Centre doesn’t yield: Nitish Kumar
Express News Service
PATNA: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday said the demand for caste-based census was very much alive despite the Centre’s disinclination. He added he would keep the “option open” for a state-specific exercise on caste census if the Centre refuses to budge.“Our party has adopted a resolution supporting caste census in the country,” Kumar said, adding he plans to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi to urge him to reconsider his position on the matter.Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav had on July 30 during his meeting with Kumar in the Assembly, suggested that the state government conduct caste census from its own resources if the Centre refuses to yield.“Caste census is in the interest of all. But if someone is saying that there will be tension in the society due to caste census, then, I think, this is wrong. It will be beneficial for most works of developments,” Kumar said.
But what if the Centre refuses to budge? “We keep our option open,” Kumar said. “Nitish Kumar’s decisions on the caste census, the population policy and demand for probe into the Pegasus scandal are political messages against the BJP’s political dominance both in the state and the Centre. His meeting with Chautala as also the outreach to Tejashwi and others from the Opposition in Bihar on caste census are messages to the BJP ahead of 2024 Lok Sabha elections,” political experts opined.
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Non-vaccinated Legislators will not to allowed to attend monsoon session of Bihar assembly: Speaker
MLAs who have recovered after getting infected and have been specifically advised by their doctors to get vaccinated after a certain amount of time will be granted entry.
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Tejashwi Yadav writes to Speaker, seeks action against officers in March 23 House chaos case
Express News Service
PATNA: Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav shot a letter to the Speaker of Bihar Assembly seeking actions against officers, who allegedly had manhandled some opposition MLAs on March 23 in the House.On March 23, the opposition had created a ruckus while protesting against the Bihar Special Armed Police Bill-2021 and disrupted the House proceeding to such an extent that police forces were summoned to bring them under control.
Some legislators were forcibly thrown out by the cops and marshals when they picketed the chamber of the Speaker in a bid to prevent him to reach the House to conduct the session in which the bill was to be tabled.
Sharing his letters to the Speaker on his Twitter handle, Tejashwi Yadav said the incident that happened in the House on March 23 was not just an attack on the opposition but also an attack on the democratic system.
Yadav on Monday wrote a letter to Speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha with “evidences” and sought the dismissal of the police and other officers involved in the incident.
Yadav said the way the opposition members were treated by the Nitish Kumar government in a bid to impose Bihar Special Armed Police Bill-202′ on the people cannot be considered a normal democratic incident. It all happened when the opposition members were protesting peacefully by exercising their democratic rights. He alleged that the actions taken by the police at the behest of the government exhibited how the government will treat the people in the future.
He alleged that several MLAs of opposition were seriously injured and hospitalised.
Comparing the incident with the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, Tejashwi Yadav said that the government has no right to continue as it has failed to protect the constitutional rights of the elected representatives.
“We demand the dismissal of the officials, who tried to create a Jallianwala Bagh in the Bihar Assembly on March 23,” he said in the letter, adding that the evidences contained were shared with the Speaker.
Reacting to Tejashwi Yadav’s letter, BJP spokesperson Dr. Nikhil Anand said: “Letter is nothing but political eyewash. He is trying to shift the attention from the incident that maligned the image of the House in its 100 years of history.”
He also said that officials found guilty of creating chaos in the Assembly premises must be punished but the legislators who went on to abuse the chair should also not be spared at any cost.
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Apologise for assembly ruckus or we will boycott remaining sessions: RJD to Nitish Kumar
By ANI
PATNA: Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav on Wednesday demanded an apology from Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar following a ruckus in the state assembly over the Bihar Special Armed Police Bill 2021. He also threatened to boycott the remaining assembly sessions in the tenure of the current government if Kumar doesn’t issue an apology for the same.Terming the Bihar Chief Minister as “Nirlajj Kumar Ji”, Tejashwi said, “Nitish Kumar Ji should know that governments change. MLAs were abused and beaten inside the assembly yesterday.”
“If Nitish Kumar does not apologise for the incident, we may boycott the assembly for the remaining tenure. ‘Nirlaj Kumar Ji’ has lost all shame,” he added.
Meanwhile, an FIR has been registered against Tejashwi and his brother Tej Pratap Yadav, along with several unnamed party workers, for the protest they carried out on Tuesday against the Bihar Special Armed Police Bill 2021. Police resorted to baton- charge and had also used water cannons to maintain the situation.
On Tuesday evening, the assembly session witnessed multiple adjournments as the RJD leaders shouted slogans against the bill. After a few Opposition leaders prevented Speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha from leaving his chamber, police personnel reached the assembly premises to evict the MLAs. Women MLAs of the Opposition were carried out of the assembly building by women security personnel.
RJD leader Jagdanand Singh also condemned the incident and said: “The ruling government in Bihar has made ‘mockery’ of Bihar.”
RJD claims that that the Bihar Special Armed Police Bill means that search will be conducted without a warrant and “any policemen can arrest if he believes something is wrong”.