Bihar Assembly session: Opposition protests over denial of Special Category status, session adjourned till 12

The Bihar Assembly was adjourned till noon on Tuesday after leaders of opposition parties protested against the Centre's refusal to grant special status to the state.

The ruling NDA in Bihar faces severe protests from the opposition Mahagathbandhan over the demand for special status for the state. The Bihar Assembly's monsoon session will likely face the heat of the political slugfest over the demand for Bihar's special status category.

Leaders of RJD, Congress and the Left reached the House carrying placards with slogans like “shame on anti-Bihar BJP” on Tuesday. A few leaders held rattles meant for children to highlight how the Centre was trying to dodge Bihar's demand for a special status category by offering a “jhunjhuna” by speaking of special packages and other types of help.

The constant protest by the members led to chaos during the session. Inside the House, Speaker Nand Kishor Yadav repeatedly asked the Opposition party leaders to take their seats, who noted with distress that school children had come to watch the proceedings and the commotion was leaving an unfavourable impression on their minds.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary asked Opposition members to raise the issue “from their seats and listen to the government's response.”

Vijay Kumar Chaudhary, who belongs to the JD(U) headed by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, alleged that the Congress-led UPA, of which RJD was a part, had "for the first time turned down the demand for special status".

Bihar Monsoon session

Speaker Nand Kishor Yadav administered the oath of office to Independent MLA Shankar Singh on Monday, July 22. On the first day of the monsoon session, Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary tabled the first supplementary budget for the current financial year.

Political slugfest over demand for special status for Bihar

A few days ago, RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav demanded Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's resignation for failing to bring Bihar under the Special Category Status. Lalu Prasad Yadav's remark received significant criticism from leaders of the BJP.

Union Minister and BJP leader Giriraj Singh reacted to Lalu Prasad Yadav's comments and questioned why he did not pursue the Special Category Status for the state when his party was in power.

"The government has not dismissed the request. Lalu Prasad Yadav needs to understand. When he was allying with Congress and turned kingmaker, and a law existed that could have given Bihar special status, why did he not try to bring Bihar under the Special Category Status? PM Narendra Modi allotted ₹1.25 lakh crore package for the state and spent ₹2 lakh crore on top of it. Purvanchal cannot progress without a developed Bihar," he told ANI.