BJP stage protest, disrupt house proceedings over Saran hooch deaths; CM loses cool, slams Oppn - Hindustan Times
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BJP stage protest, disrupt house proceedings over Saran hooch deaths; CM loses cool, slams Oppn

Dec 14, 2022 10:45 PM IST

Chief minister stood from his seat and in an agitated tone slammed the BJP members for the protests and also for opposing the prohibition policy in the state.

PATNA: The state assembly on Wednesday witnessed an uproar over the hooch tragedy in Chapra town in Bihar’s Saran district with chief minister Nitish Kumar losing his cool and slamming the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) members for the protests. The BJP members disrupted question hour leading to an adjournment in the first half of the assembly session.

Leader of Opposition Vijay Kumar Sinha with BJP legislators outside the Bihar Assembly in Patna on Wednesday. (Santosh Kumar/HT Photo)
Leader of Opposition Vijay Kumar Sinha with BJP legislators outside the Bihar Assembly in Patna on Wednesday. (Santosh Kumar/HT Photo)

Trouble started in the house when the leader of the Opposition Vijay Kumar Sinha along with BJP members started protesting the deaths due to consumption of illicit liquor on Tuesday and subsequently, Opposition legislators trooped to the well to demand compensation to kith and kin of the deceased in the tragedy.

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Chief minister stood from his seat and in an agitated tone slammed the BJP members for the protests and also for opposing the prohibition policy in the state.

Though not much audible as the mike went silent, the chief minister looked angry over the protests as he rebuked the protesting BJP members by reportedly saying that opposing prohibition was not the right thing to. “ You are doing a wrong thing by opposing prohibition.. you people are talking in favour of lifting the ban on liquor. This cannot be tolerated. Just remove all these people,” Kumar is heard saying in an agitated voice even as the Speaker Awadh Bihari Choudhary directed the marshalls to snatch the placards from the protestors.

The BJP continued their protests prompting Speaker Awadh Bihari Choudhary to adjourn the house for 15 minutes. When the house re-assembled, the Opposition once again came to the well and started raising slogans demanding that CM should tender an apology for shouting at the members. But the CM did not come to the house even as starred questions were taken up amid the din.

Later, the Opposition members staged a walkout. Leader of the opposition Sinha later told the media that CM losing his cool and talking in an intimidating manner was not acceptable and that the JD(U) strongman should apologise for it. “We will not allow the house to run smoothly unless CM apologises for his behavior today,” he said, adding that BJP was not opposing prohibition but protesting against the deaths due to consumption of illicit liquor.

At least 20 persons have died in Chhapra died after allegedly consuming spurious liquor, police said. The police, however, have confirmed 10 deaths till now.

The police in Ishauvpur area have called the deaths “suspicious” as they continue with the probe and conduct autopsy.

The sale and consumption of alcohol were banned in Bihar by the Nitish Kumar government in April 2016.

Kurhani MLA Kedar Prasad Gupta sworn in

Kedar Prasad Gupta, newly elected BJP MLA from Kurhani seat took the oath of office in the state assembly on Wednesday after the state assembly sat for the day. Gupta was recently elected from the Kurhani seat in the by-poll held on December 5.

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  • ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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    A journalist for 21 years, Anirban covers RJD, legislature and government beats. Has extensive experience in covering elections and writes regularly on finance, land reforms, registration, excise and socio-economic issues.

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