Bihar Assembly: Speaker suspends BJP MLA for ‘misconduct’ after heated exchange
The decision was taken after parliamentary affairs minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary raised the issue, seeking apology from Lakhendra Kumar Roshan for “his gross misconduct that was visible in the video footage shown at the business advisory committee meeting“.
Bihar Legislative Assembly Speaker Awadh Bihari Choudhary on Tuesday suspended BJP member Lakhendra Kumar Roshan from the House for two days for “indecent, unparliamentary behaviour and for breaking the mike” during the question hour, but not before a lot of drama.
The decision was taken after parliamentary affairs minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary raised the issue, seeking apology from Roshan for “his gross misconduct that was visible in the video footage shown at the business advisory committee meeting“.
“Else, we would have to move a proposal for action. Whatever happened and everyone saw was not only indecent, but totally against the parliamentary decorum. Such actions should not be allowed in the House. People may have objections to many things, but inside the House, there is a system to present one’s views,” he said.
The Speaker asked the MLA if he would apologise, but Leader of Opposition Vijay Kumar Sinha rose and defended Roshan, who is BJP MLA from Patepur in Vaishali district, saying the provocative statements made from the treasury benches and the mike getting switched off upset the MLA, who did not break it but “only fiddled with it” while looking at operator in the hope that it would be set right.
“Even my mike is often switched off. If action has to be taken, why has there been no action on the report of the Opposition attack on the Chair’s pedestal during the passage of Bihar Special Armed Police Bill, 2021, during the Budget session. The report is still with the chair,” he said.
Deputy chief minister Tejashwi Prasad Yadav also stood up and said it was unfortunate that the Leader of Opposition was trying to defend the indefensible and instead blaming the Chair. “Whatever happened was apparent in the video footage and there is no room for any excuse or deflection. But Sinha is doing what is expected of him, because his own behaviour has been no different,” he said.
After a verbal duel between Tejashwi and the LoP, each supported by their party members, the Speaker gave Roshan an opportunity once again to present his side and asked if he would like to apologise.
However, Roshan didn’t budge.
“This is grossly wrong to try and subjugate and humiliate a Dalit MLA. I cannot tolerate this,” he said, as BJP members stood up and trooped into the well, shouting slogans and later staging a walkout.
The parliamentary affairs minister decried the MLA’s attempt “to hide his misconduct under the cover of caste”.
“This is even more distasteful that an MLA tries to use caste as shield to cover his misdeeds. This does greater harm to Dalits, which has icons like B R Ambedkar to emulate,” the minister said.
Later, BJP leaders sat at the entrance of the Vidhan Sabha (Assembly), shouting slogans, and demanded resignation of Tejashwi Prasad Yadav over corruption charges in the “land for jobs” case in which federal agencies recently searched premises linked to him and his family members.
