A bill introduced today in the Bihar assembly by the ruling Nitish Kumar-led government has led to unprecedented ruckus and turmoil where police had to be called in to control the situation.
Members of the opposition Grand Alliance, comprising RJD, Congress and the Left, were agitated over the Bihar Special Armed Police Bill, 2021, which give unprecedented powers to the police force enabling them to arrest people without a warrant.
Due to the disturbance that occurred, proceedings of the assembly had to be adjourned five times during the day.
Leader of the opposition Tejashwi Yadav, who was detained while participating in a procession taken out against the "black law" that he terms it. Other RJD leaders were also arrested along with Yadav.
As per a report, the opposition indulged in stone-pelting, leading to use of force and water cannons.
No sooner than minister Bijendra Yadav presented the bill for debate, opposition members trooped into the well where marshals rushed to prevent the agitated legislators from getting physical with those in the treasury benches.
Meanwhile, speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha adjourned the House till 4:30 PM but ended up being held hostage inside his chamber as Grand Alliance members surrounded it from all sides and squatted shouting slogans.
Visuals show a heavy contingent of police police personnel wearing riot gear also reached the premises and they got down to work, physically evicting many an MLA stubbornly refusing to let the Speaker come out.
#WATCH Bihar: Women MLAs of the Opposition being carried out of the Assembly building by women security personnel. They (MLAs) were refusing to allow Assembly Speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha to step out of his chamber. pic.twitter.com/Skj0LayFs4
— ANI (@ANI) March 23, 2021
Many were injured in the ruckus that ensued. An RJD MLA fell on the ground after being shoved by Ashok Choudhary, an affable MLC, which enraged the opposition legislators who vandalized the table by banging chairs on it, forcing the jittery chair to adjourn the House again, till 5:30 PM.
Bihar Special Armed Police Bill, 2021, was on Tuesday passed by the state's Legislative Assembly without any debate, which the opposition terms as a "black law".