Bihar assembly: BJP MLA’s suspension revoked after regret & high drama
The resolution for revoking the suspension of Roshan, MLA from Patepur in Vaishali who was suspended Tuesday for unparliamentary behaviour and attempt to break the mike, was passed by voice vote in the assembly, with all the members from treasury and opposition benches backing it.
Bihar Legislative Assembly Speaker Awadh Bihari Choudhary on Wednesday revoked the suspension of BJP member Lakhendra Kumar Roshan after he expressed regret for his action the previous day, which he attributed to some provocative words used by CPI-ML member Satyadev Ram.
The resolution for revoking the suspension of Roshan, MLA from Patepur in Vaishali who was suspended Tuesday for unparliamentary behaviour and attempt to break the mike, was passed by voice vote in the assembly, with all the members from treasury and opposition benches backing it.
Later, Ram also expressed his regret “in keeping with the sentiment of the House”, though he said he had never used unparliamentary language against anyone since 1995 in the House.
Though BJP legislators marched to the Raj Bhawan after a staging a sit-in at the assembly gate, the second half of the session on Wednesday witnessed a complete turnaround, with Speaker sending Congress Legislature Party leader Ajeet Sharma to call the opposition members to the House, which was incomplete without them.
Parliamentary affairs minister Vijay Kunar Choudhary thanked the Speaker for taking the initiative, as the way situation unfolded after Tuesday’s unsavoury incident was unfortunate. “It is a fact that the House looks incomplete without the Opposition, especially when the debate on the budgetary demand of different departments has to take place. It is the House that gives nod for expenditure. It is important for all to maintain parliamentary decorum,” he said.
Sharma’s request was accepted by the BJP leaders and they returned. Later, the suspended BJP MLA was also called inside and asked to express his views on the turn of events. He expressed his regret.
Leader of Opposition Vijay Kumar Sinha said it was important for the House to amicably resolve its differences, as the Opposition or any elected representative would keep raising public issues.
“The parliamentary decorum must be maintained in the House by one and all. The responsibility of running the House is, however, more on the ruling dispensation. In fact, when I was the Speaker, I had to face criticism from the treasury benches for giving more opportunity to the opposition. I had always said that both sides should express regret to resolve the matter straightaway,” he said.
The Speaker later thanked the members for resolving the matter and advised them to raise whatever issues they may have peacefully. “At least, all-important question hour should be allowed to go on without interruptions,” he said.
On Tuesday, BJP had marched out of the House after the Speaker accepted the parliamentary affairs minister’s proposal for suspending the BJP MLA for the latter’s indecent, unparliamentary behaviour and attempt to break the mike and refusal to express regret.