Ruckus in Bihar Assembly over hooch tragedy on final day of session

Patna: Pandemonium re-erupted in the Bihar Assembly on Monday, the last day of winter session, when members of the BJP created a ruckus over the Saran hooch tragedy and linking of seizure of a large quantity of liquor in Lakhisarai to a senior party leader.

Speaker Awadh Bihari Chaudhary adjourned the hearing till 2 pm within half an hour of commencement of proceedings at 11 am, as opportunity given to Leader of the opposition Vijay Kumar Sinha to make a statement on the floor of the House failed to soothe ruffled feathers.

Sinha was allowed to read out an adjournment motion moved by his party that demanded compensation to the hooch tragedy victims, whose number he claimed to be in “hundreds”.

The administration has, so far, confirmed only 30 deaths though most unconfirmed reports put the number in excess of 50.

Sinha cited a provision in the prohibition law, as well as the example of a hooch tragedy in Gopalganj where compensation was paid despite the state having gone dry, to press the demand for ex-gratia to the victims in Saran, which has been adamantly refused by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

He also sought condolence on the floor of the House for those who have died after consuming spurious liquor in Saran.

Sinha expressed outrage over the Speaker having ordered an inquiry into an allegation “made when I was not present inside the House”.

The reference was to more than 1,200 liquor bottles seized from a village in Lakhisarai where a close relative of the Leader of the Opposition lived.

Brandishing a piece of paper that he claimed to be a copy of the FIR lodged in connection with the case, Sinha said “nowhere does any relative of mine find a mention” and added, waving a photograph “this is the accused and you can see he is a JD(U) supporter”.

“I demand that a copy of the order passed by the Chair be tabled before the House, those who made the false allegation against me tender an apology. The allegations against me also be expunged from the proceedings”, said Sinha.

He also sought expunction of ‘amaryadit tippani’ (objectionable remarks) made against himself last week by the Speaker during a heated exchange.

The Speaker went ahead with the proceedings, even as many BJP leaders continued to be in the well, raising slogans and waving posters.

The Speaker ordered marshals to snatch away the posters which agitated the opposition MLAs further and they grew more obstreperous.

By around 11.30 am, the Speaker decided that he has had enough and adjourned the proceedings till 2 pm observing “it is obvious that the opposition does not want the House to run on the final day of the session”.