Jharkhand: BJP MLAs create ruckus in assembly over university bill

RANCHI: Question Hour proceedings were disrupted on Thursday in Jharkhand Assembly, with Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahato adjourning the House amidst protests by BJP members over the state university Bill and other issues. The House convened at 11 am but was adjourned till noon by the Speaker after just 10 minutes of functioning, as both opposition and ruling members trooped the Well, raising protests over their respective concerns.

After reassembling around noon, proceedings, including Zero Hour and the Call Attention Motion, proceeded smoothly till the lunch break at 1 pm. On the fourth day of the monsoon session, Congress legislature party leader Pradeep Yadav demanded Bharat Ratna for former chief minister Shibu Soren and called for the installation of his statue along with that of BR Ambedkar and Sido-Kanhu in the Assembly complex.

As Question Hour began, BJP’s Hatia MLA Naveen Jaiswal alleged that the state government was "politicising education" by passing the Jharkhand State University Bill, 2025. "The Bill is an attempt to seize the governor's power and prevent student elections. Students are agitating on the streets. This is the issue of students and education," Jaiswal said.

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Jharkhand State University Bill 2025

The state government passed the state university Bill in the assembly on Tuesday. Jaiswal also raised the issue of the 'encounter' death of Surya Hansda and demanded a CBI probe. Replying to Jaiswal on the Bill, Higher and Technical Education Minister Sudivya Kumar alleged that the opposition was spreading confusion over student elections in universities.

"Students' democratic rights were not violated in the Bill," he said. Following this exchange, BJP MLAs stormed into the Well of the House, soon joined by members of the treasury bench. The Speaker urged the members to return to their seats and let the Question Hour function.

"If members continue to disrupt Question Hour like this, they should not put questions next time. This will diminish the importance of the Question Hour, and its responsibility will fall on members. I think people will form an opinion on the importance of the Assembly and the disruption of Question Hour in future. So, I request the members to let the Question Hour function," Mahato said.

When members from both sides continued to create ruckus in the House, the Speaker adjourned the House till noon after 10 minutes of its functioning.