Congress slams action against Bihar MLAs in Assembly

The Congress on Wednesday targeted the Nitish Kumar government in Bihar after Opposition lawmakers were dragged out of the Assembly following chaotic scenes over the Bihar Armed Police bill.

On Tuesday, the presiding officer in Bihar was reportedly “forced” to call the police after Opposition MLAs had gheraoed him in his chamber and created a ruckus.

Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, in a tweet, said the “shameful episode” now proved that the Chief Minister was completely in the grip of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

Those who “rip apart democracy” had no right to be called a government, Mr. Gandhi said.

The Opposition is also likely to raise the issue in Parliament as Rashtriya Janata Dal leader and Rajya Sabha member Manoj Jha has said he will give a



notice.

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala — who had tweeted a video clip of a Congress MLA Santosh Mishra being beaten up by people in civil dress while being taken out of the Assembly by uniformed policemen — said the Janata Dal-United had “defiled the temple of democracy, the Assembly, by getting Opposition lawmakers beaten up”.

“MLAs were beaten up and even women MLAs were not spared. And why? Because they were opposing the Bihar Armed Police bill that gives unbridled powers to the police to put anyone in jail,” alleged Mr. Surjewala, adding that “it is the time for the citizens to raise their voice”.

“Democracy has been murdered. If you don’t raise your voice even today then there won’t be any democracy left. And ‘goondagardi’ [hooliganism] will become a way with the BJP,” he added.