Pandemonium erupted in the Bihar Assembly on July 11 as BJP MLAs demanded the resignation of Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav due to his recent inclusion in a chargesheet filed by the CBI for his alleged involvement in a land-for-jobs scam. The BJP MLAs caused chaos by trooping into the well of the House, raising slogans, lifting chairs over their heads, and banging on the table.
Speaker Awadh Bihari Choudhary, visibly displeased with the unruly behavior, adjourned the House till 2 p.m. He reprimanded the protesting BJP MLAs, calling their behavior a blot on the history of this august House. However, after the break, the pandemonium continued, leading to the adjournment of the House till July 12.
Leader of the Opposition Vijay Kumar Sinha criticized Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s zero tolerance policy for crime, corruption, and communalism, stating that he had compromised with corruption to remain in power. Sinha asserted that the people of Bihar would not tolerate such compromises.
This marked the second consecutive day that BJP MLAs raised the issue in the Assembly. During the disruptive session, neither Tejashwi Yadav nor Nitish Kumar were present. Yadav, however, made an appearance when the House convened in the second half of the day.
The chargesheet is related to the alleged exchange of jobs for land that RJD chief Lalu Prasad received when he served as Railway Minister from 2004 to 2009. Tejashwi Yadav vehemently denied all allegations leveled against him, claiming that the BJP-led government in the Centre had named him in the chargesheet as a form of retaliation after losing power in Bihar.
Yadav questioned the timing of the chargesheet, pointing to a six-year gap since the first chargesheet in 2017. He accused the BJP-led government of misusing Central investigating agencies for political gains and affirmed that there was no merit to the case. Meanwhile, BJP leaders argued that there is a tradition in the House where a Minister named in a chargesheet must resign or be asked to do so by the Chief Minister.
Leader of the Opposition Vijay Kumar Sinha raised the question of why Tejashwi Yadav was still serving in the Cabinet even after being named in a chargesheet, highlighting previous instances where Ministers were removed from the Cabinet after an FIR was filed against them.
The ongoing tussle in the Bihar Assembly reflects the intense political rivalry between the BJP and the ruling RJD. Both parties continue to clash over allegations of corruption, with the BJP demanding the resignation of Tejashwi Yadav, and the RJD maintaining that the charges are politically motivated. As the chaos ensues, the fate of the Bihar Assembly remains uncertain.
