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22/07/2010
67 legislators suspended after Bihar assembly bedlam
Patna, July 21 (IANS) A legislator hurled a slipper at the speaker and a woman legislator broke flowerpots in the Bihar assembly complex Wednesday as opposition members vociferously demanded Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's resignation for alleged financial irregularities. At least 67 members were suspended after day two of the bedlam in the house.
Speaker Uday Narain Choudhary suspended the 67, mostly from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) and the Left, as the house was stalled with the opposition asking the chief minister to resign over alleged financial irregularities of over Rs.11,000 crore.
The suspended legislators, forcibly removed by the marshals from the assembly, said Nitish Kumar was neckdeep in corruption and had swindled crores of rupees from the treasury.
The suspension will remain effective during the ongoing monsoon session till July 24.
Nitish Kumar is among 47 people named in a complaint alleging misuse of Rs.11,412 crore. Petitioner Arvind Kumar pointed to the irregularities in the use of development funds during 2002-08 in Bihar.
The Patna High Court has ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the matter, a decision the government has appealed against.
The assembly met at 11 a.m. after being adjourned Tuesday afternoon following clashes between the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the opposition.
The opposition members trooped towards the speaker, shouted slogans against their suspension and demanded that Nitish Kumar quit.
The NDA said that an opposition member threw a sandal at the speaker to protest against the suspensions. Protests continued outside the house too.
On Tuesday, 14 opposition members of the Bihar Legislative Council were suspended for their unruly behaviour in the house.
RJD and LJP workers Wednesday morning burnt an effigy of Nitish Kumar near the main gate of the assembly. Seventy-six legislators continued their overnight sit-in inside the assembly while another three protested outside the main gate.
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