Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member Lal Babu Prasad, a member of the Bihar legislative council, was suspended for a day on Tuesday for “unruly conduct” in the house a day earlier.
Prasad had taken away the paper from Bihar excise and prohibition minister Abdul Jalil Mastan when he was replying to a call attention motion, moved by the JD(U).
Council chairman Awadhesh Narayan Singh, who had reserved his order on Monday, announced the suspension of Prasad after an all-party meeting and going through the video footage (of the incident that occurred in the house).
The council chairman, who had even termed the incident unfortunate, handed out the verdict, suspending Prasad for a day on Tuesday. The over month-long budget session is scheduled to conclude on March 31.
The BJP said it would appeal to the chairman for revocation of the order, while continuing to boycott the minister.
Prasad termed the chairman’s action as having been done “under pressure of the ruling Grand Alliance government”. The JD(U), however, supported it.
The BJP has been baying for the minister’s blood ever since his provocative speech and outrageous remarks against the Prime Minister recently.
According to a PTI report, Mastan had kicked up a controversy by asking a crowd gathered at a programme at his Amour assembly constituency in Purnia district on February 22 to protest the Centre’s demonetisation move and to beat the photograph of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with shoes.
When the government did not budge from its stand of not sacking Mastan from the council of ministers, that the BJP had demanded, the saffron party resolved to boycott him in both the houses.
In pursuance of their resolve to boycott the minister’s speech, Prasad had on Monday rushed to the well of the house, saying they (the BJP) would not hear any reply from the minister and renewed the demand to sack Mastan from the cabinet for allegedly making “uncharitable” remarks against the Prime Minister in Purnia district.
Mastan had begun replying to a call attention motion moved by Dinesh Prasad Singh of the JD(U) when the commotion began.
Other members of the BJP joined Prasad in the well and raised slogans against the minister.
Prasad tried to snatch file from the minister, while another BJP member made attempts to uproot the microphone the minister was using.
The situation worsened when some members of the ruling alliance also rushed to the well and had a heated exchange with agitating BJP members in their bid to stop them from manhandling the minister.
Sensing the gravity of the situation, the chairman had adjourned the house for 30 minutes on Monday.
When the house re-assembled, Congress member Dilip Kumar Choudhary moved a proposal, seeking suspension of Prasad and Krishna Kumar. It was supported by the JD(U), RJD and CPI members, while BJP opposed it. The chairman had reserved his ruling for Tuesday.
Source: HindustanTimes