BJP demands Tejashwi's resignation over Land for Jobs Scam
13 Jul 2023 12:50:44
Patna, Jul 13: The Bihar assembly witnessed unruly scenes for a second consecutive day on Wednesday after members of the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) smashed a chair and tossed shreds of paper during a protest seeking resignation of deputy chief minister Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, against whom the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) recently filed a charge sheet in an alleged land-for-jobs scam.
The BJP members also hit out at chief minister Nitish Kumar for failing to seek Tejashwi’s resignation, even as the latter sought to know why the Opposition did not object to his appointment last year despite a charge sheet being filed against him in 2017 in a separate corruption case. The land-for-jobs scam pertains to taking land from 12 candidates in return for jobs in the Railways between 2004 and 2009. Lalu was the railway minister during this period. On July 3, CBI had filed its charge sheet against Tejashwi, Lalu and his wife Rabri Devi, and 14 others in the case.
As the assembly gathered for the ongoing monsoon session at 11am, leader of opposition Vijay Kumar Sinha demanded Tejashwi’s resignation. Sinha also asked chief minister Nitish Kumar, who was present in the House, why the latter had not sought his deputy’s resignation.“You (Kumar) always had zero tolerance on corruption, so why is there a compromise now? Why are you not taking Tejashwi’s resignation,” Sinha said. The opposition leader also condemned the lathicharge on ‘Kisan Salahkaars’ in Patna during the day and slammed the government for not providing sufficient grants to clear salaries of teachers in unaided colleges. Sinha spoke for a few minutes before speaker Awadh Bihari Chaudhary went ahead with the Question Hour. Trouble erupted about 30 minutes later when Sinha alleged “opposition members are not being allowed to ask supplementary questions while those from the ruling side are getting the opportunity”. As the speaker chose to ignore the complaint and move ahead with the Question Hour, BJP members raised slogans and trooped into the well of the House. They tried to upturn the reporters table, and tore pieces of paper and threw the shreds in the air. The protest continued even as the speaker cautioned the BJP members against their unruly behaviour. The situation turned ugly after the members smashed a chair on the ground, prompting the speaker to adjourn the session till 11am on Thursday. “Your conduct is deplorable. Don’t force the Chair to take action,” the speaker said while adjourning the House.
Sinha defended his party’s conduct in the assembly. “It is highly condemnable that my mike was switched off when I was speaking. The Opposition has the right to raise issues concerning people, which include corruption,” he told reporters later. Tejashwi hit out at the Opposition, saying they are not interested in talking about development. “A charge sheet was filed against me in 2017. I do not know what happened to it. God knows what happened to it. When I was taking oath as deputy chief minister last year, despite a charge sheet pending against me, they (BJP) did not object. Now they are asking why I took the oath. They should have stopped me then,” the deputy chief minister told reporters. The RJD leader was referring to his name in CBI’s charge sheet in a case related to alleged irregularities in handing over the operational contract of two IRCTC hotels to a private firm, when Lalu was railway minister. Lalu is the main accused in the case. On August 10 last year, Tejashwi took oath as deputy chief minister after the ruling Janata Dal (United) split with the BJP for a second time to re-align with the RJD. Continuing his attack on the BJP, Tejashwi said: “We come to the assembly everyday so that we can address the questions of the public and work for the development of the state. But people sitting in the opposition do not seem to be like MLAs. They are not interested in talking about development. They are only talking rubbish.”
On Tuesday too, the House was disrupted due to similar protests by the BJP. “The BJP calls itself a party with a difference. But the hooliganism and unruly behaviour of the BJP members reflect what they believe in and is only weakening the democratic system,” JD(U) spokesperson Neeraj Kumar said. On Tuesday too, the House was disrupted due to similar protests by the BJP. “The BJP calls itself a party with a difference. But the hooliganism and unruly behaviour of the BJP members reflect what they believe in and is only weakening the democratic system,” JD(U) spokesperson Neeraj Kumar said. The centres where these fresh stocks will be released have been identified on the basis of absolute hike in retail prices over the past one month, the government said. The scale of consumption has also been considered in the process.