Condemning the scuffle between the ruling JD(U) and BJP MLCs in the legislative council, former Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thuesday expressed deep anguish over the incident and denied his role in the matter.
He also urged the chair to rule in this regard otherwise he will be compelled to stay away from the House for the remaining budget session.
"Whatever has happened in legislative council today amounts to blotting parliamentary democracy and it deserves downright condemnation...I have had no role in the incident and the charge by the Leader of Opposition Sushil Kumar Modi that I instigated my party colleague sitting next to me is totally false and baseless," Kumar said in the legislative council as soon as it resumed business in post-lunch session.
"When the scuffle took place between the members of treasury and opposition benches, I tried my best to separate the warring MLCs of the two sides and the audio-video recording and mediapersons covering the house will corroborate my claim," Kumar said.
The senior JD(U) leader said that if he had not intervened timely then the things could have turned really bad in the House, but instead of being lauded for his bid to pacify the members, he has been needlessly charged with instigating party colleague.
"I have been stung by the opposition leader's charge that I instigated my colleague to create trouble which amounts to casting aspersion on my unblemished parliamentary career of over three decades....I am deeply hurt by the charge," he said.
Kumar said that he has seen the video footage of the sordid incident and spoken to some mediapersons covering the House during the spat between the JD(U) MLC Sanjay Singh and some BJP MLCs led by Mangal Pandey, before coming to the conclusion that the charges against him were "completely baseless."
Observing that the Leader of Opposition and his colleagues have been in the habit of accusing him for every bad thing happening around, the former Chief Minister said that he cannot tolerate baseless allegation anymore as he knew that he has done nothing wrong in this incident.
Turning towards the council chairperson Awadesh Narayan Singh, Kumar implored the chair to view the footage himself and give his ruling about his conduct and threatened that it will otherwise be not possible for him to sit in the House any further and participate in its proceedings.
"I want justice from you (chair)," Kumar said and insisted that the chairperson must give his ruling in the matter and absolve him of the charge by the opposition leader on the basis of facts and evidence of the matter.
"Either the charges against me must be withdrawn or I would not like to be a member of the upper House and participate in its proceedings if I have done any wrong," he said while imploring the chair to give his ruling.
While the former Chief Minister was speaking, a JD(U MLC rose to demand adoption of a resolution seeking suspension of four BJP MLCs - Mangal Pandey, Suraj Nandan Kushwaha, Lal Babu Prasad and Satyendra Narayan Singh for remaining budget session of the House for moving menacing in the direction of the ruling party MLC Sanjay Singh, sitting besides Kumar, to attack him.
Kumar, however, disapproved of his colleague's bid to introduce resolution seeking suspension of four BJP MLCs, and insisted with the chair for his ruling on the charge that he had instigate his party colleague in the House.
After patiently hearing Kumar for about half-an-hour, the council chairperson sought to mollify him by giving him clean chit for excellent conduct saying he has tremendous respect for the former chief minister.
"You (former chief minister) did not try to instigate spat between the members of treasury and opposition benches and I have seen the footage of the incident before arriving to this conclusion," Singh said, adding that he was himself hurt over the incident which has blotted the entire House.
"I share your anguish and apologise to every member of House over the incident in the capacity as the chairperson if anyone thinks that I mishandled the situation," a visibly distressed chairperson said, adding that he had adjourned the House immediately after exchange of heated words between the JD(U) and BJP MLCs.
The treasury benches, however, did not appear to be in mood to let the Leader of Opposition Sushil Kumar Modi and four BJP MLCs involved in fracas go unpunished for their alleged misconduct as the Water Resources Department Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary condemning the conduct of opposition BJP leaders insisted for a ruling by the chair.
Amid vociferous demand by the JD(U) benches for meting out punishment to the four BJP MLCs, the council chairperson, who is a senior BJP leader himself, said that he will hold a meeting with the leaders of all political parties tomorrow before deciding on future course of action in the matter before adjourning the House for 10 minutes.
Once the house resumed, a number of JD(U) ministers like PK Shahi, Mahachandra Prasad Singh, Vinod Kumar Yadav and others demanded discussion and adoption of resolution moved by the JD(U) MLC Neeraj Kumar seeking suspension of four BJP MLCs to which the chairperson ruled that he has taken note of the resolution, but a decision will be taken tomorrow only after his meeting with leaders of all political parties with representation in the legislative council.
The house later took up other agendas.
The BJP members, led by their leader Sushil Kumar Modi, abstained from business in the house in post-lunch session to protest against provocative conduct of the JD(U) MLC Sanjay Singh.
Comments
0 comment