BJP MLAs protest in House; say Speaker not allowing to raise issues

PATNA: BJP members today wore black bands on their mouths in the Assembly alleging that they were not being allowed to raise various issues in the House by Speaker Uday Narayan Chaudhary.

As soon as the House resumed to take up discussion on the Industries Department's budgetary demand of Rs 784 crore for 2015-16 during the post-lunch session, the BJP members led by the Leader of Opposition Nandkishore Yadav trooped in the well by wearing black bands on their mouths to protest against the bid to muzzle their voice.

The BJP lawmakers squatted in the well as the Industries Minister in-charge Shyam Rajak tabled his department's budgetary demand for consideration and passage by the House.

The Speaker, who appeared to be displeased with the BJP MLAs' silent protest, urged them to resume their seat, but to no avail.

In the meantime, the RJD legislator party leader Abdul Bari Siddique got up to draw Chaudhary's attention about the ongoing protest by the BJP legislators in the House and said that such things were not good for Parliamentary democracy before suggesting to the Speaker to adjourn the House for sometimes to sort out the issues being raised by the opposition.

After Siddique's interjection, the Water Resources Department Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary too expressed surprise at the BJP members' protest and denied that the opposition's voice was being muzzled.