Opposition seeks to corner Nitish govt over teachers stir

PATNA: Sniffing an opportunity to corner the Nitish Kumar government in Bihar on the contractual teachers agitation, the opposition today stalled proceedings of the state legislature protesting police action on slogan-shouting teachers.

The entire opposition, including RJD, Congress, CPI and LJP, joined hands to raise the agitating teachers issue in both Houses.

Pandemonium broke out when Speaker Udai Naryan Chaudhary rejected an Opposition notice for adjournment motion to discuss "police high-handedness" on agitating contractual teachers on the ground that it was not in conformity with rules.

With the Chair rejecting the adjournment motion plea, the entire opposition trooped into the well and started shouting slogans against the government.

Verbal duel between the opposition and treasury benches followed. Reacting sharply to the opposition protest in the House, JD(U) Chief Whip Shrawan Kumar accused opposition leader Abdul Bari Siddiqui of "misleading" the House that police had fired bullets on teachers yesterday.

Defending the police action, Minister in-charge for Home Vijay Kumar Chaudhary also denied firing of bullets and alleged that opposition was trying to gain political mileage out of the incident.

Chaudhary said the policemen had exhausted all their persuasive skills to prevail upon the contractual teachers against taking law in their hands before using water canons, bursting teargas shells and resorting to lathicharge.

His ministerial colleague, Nand Kishore Yadav echoed similar views.

Leader of Opposition Abdul Bari Siddiqui while talking to reporters alleged that police indulged in violence by targetting vehicles yesterday.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was not present in the House.