Patna, July 21 (IANS) Sixteen opposition legislators in Bihar were suspended for unruly behaviour in the assembly Wednesday, prompting a member to hurl a shoe at the speaker.
Speaker Uday Narain Choudhary suspended the 16, mostly from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), while they demanded Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s resignation over alleged financial irregularities.
The assembly opened to fresh protests at 11 a.m. after being adjourned Tuesday afternoon following clashes between the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and opposition members.
The opposition members trooped towards the speaker, shouted slogans against their suspension and demanded the resignation of Nitish Kumar. A member even hurled a sandal at the speaker.
The suspension will remain effective during the ongoing monsoon session till July 24.
Protests continued outside the house also. A woman legislator created ruckus by breaking flower pots in the premises.
On Tuesday, 14 opposition members of the Bihar Legislative Council were suspended for their unruly behaviour in the house during their protest against alleged financial irregularities.
RJD-LJP workers Wednesday morning burnt an effigy of Nitish Kumar in front of the main gate of the state assembly and continued their protest.
Seventy-six legislators continued their overnight sit-in inside the state assembly and three protested outside the main gate.
RJD state president and legislator Abdul Bari Siddiqui told IANS over the phone that opposition members spent the night in the assembly while protesting the attack on them by ruling members.
LJP legislator Maheshwar Singh, who spent the night outside the assembly premises, said Nitish Kumar behaved like a dictator by trying to suppress the voices of opposition members who raised the issue of his involvement in looting of crores of rupees.
Nitish Kumar is among the 47 people named in a complaint alleging irregularities of Rs.11,412 crore. Petitioner Arvind Kumar pointed to financial irregularities in the use of development funds during 2002-2008 in Bihar.
The Patna High Court has ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the alleged financial irregularities, a decision the state government has appealed against.
