Agnipath row rocks Assembly, bill passed amid pandemonium
PATNA: Row over Agnipath, the short service recruitment scheme for armed forces, rocked the second day of the monsoon session of Bihar Legislative Assembly on Monday, with Opposition members frequently trooping into the well with demand for acceptance of their adjournment motion and discussion on the issue.
The assembly was adjourned twice during the day in both the halves. The issue also echoed outside the House, where opposition leaders stood with placards demanding roll-back of the scheme.
However, Speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha said a discussion would not be allowed as the matter did not relate to the assembly. He repeatedly asked the members to get back to their seats and allow the question hour to continue, but the Opposition remained unmoved and kept shouting slogans.
After the adjournment in the first half, when the House resumed at 2 pm, the Opposition members again trooped into the well demanding a discussion on Agnipath scheme and did not relent despite Speaker’s repeated requests to allow important listed business.
When nothing worked, the government tabled the Bihar Molasses Control (Amendment) Bill on the floor of the House, which was passed amid din without any discussion.
Minister for prohibition, excise and registration, Sunil Kumar, tabled the bill, and though Opposition leaders Lalit Yadav, Mehboob Alam and others had moved amendments, none could be taken up due to commotion.
The Bill proposes to decontrol the pricing of molasses, which has been a demand of sugar mills to get market price outside state.
The scheduled debate on air pollution in the state, for which RJD’s Sameer Mahaseth had moved the proposal and for which time had been allotted to all the political parties, also could not take place as Speaker adjourned the House due to pandemonium.
As soon as the sitting started in the morning, the Opposition stood up. RJD’s chief whip Lalit Yadav said he would like to move the adjournment motion. Congress’ Ajeet Sharma and CPI-ML’s Satyadev Ram followed suit, saying it was a matter related to national security and there must be discussion over it. The Opposition seemed one on the issue.
The Speaker referred to the decisions taken at the business advisory committee meeting earlier in the day and said members must try to act as per laid down norms to allow the House to function and take up matters of public importance. “For the members, a decision has been taken to ensure a chamber for them at the block and district level offices so that they could take up matters related to public. Frequent disruptions don’t do any good to anyone, as people feel let down by their leaders,” he said, seeking the House approval on it by standing up.
The members responded in support, but remained firm on their stand on Agnipath scheme and started shouting slogans, leading to adjournment of the House in the first session without any business.
Deputy chief minister Tarkishore Prasad and parliamentary affairs minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary also intervened to calm things down, but to no avail. Though there were 93 starred questions and 10 short notice questions listed for the day, none could be taken up.
On the first day of the monsoon session on Friday, CPI-ML’s Ram, backed by other opposition leaders, had sought a unanimous proposal from the House for Agnipath’s roll-back to be sent to the Centre. The same tenor was evident on Monday as well, as Opposition members stood with placards against the Agnipath scheme outside the Assembly.
Though the brief session ends on June 30, with just three more sittings, the tenor of the Opposition points to stormy days ahead.