An unusual situation was witnessed in the Bihar Assembly on Monday when Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Assembly Speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha had a heated argument over constitutional provisions. The question was whether the matter being probed by the Government, which had also been referred to the Committee of Privileges, could be raised ‘repeatedly’ on the Table of the House. During his speech, the Chief Minister advised the Speaker of the Assembly to see the Constitution. Said, ‘I have never seen such a procedural anomaly. Please don’t run the House like this.…Please see the Constitution.’
The tussle between the Speaker and the Chief Minister is also being seen by some as a reflection of the strained relations between the JD(U) and the BJP. The JD(U) is headed by Kumar and Assembly Speaker Sinha comes from an ally BJP. The Chief Minister expressed his outrage when the Speaker of the Assembly asked Cabinet Minister Bijendra Yadav to inform the House after a few days what action was taken in relation to an incident in Lakhisarai.
Lakhisarai is also the assembly constituency of Sinha. Nitish Kumar said, ‘The minister has been authorized to reply on behalf of the government. When they have told that the investigation is going on, you ask them to come up with a new answer the day after tomorrow. This is against the rules. Please see the constitution.’
The Privileges Committee of the House had directed the Director General of Police to conduct an inquiry against a Deputy Superintendent of Police of Lakhisarai and in-charge of the concerned station for alleged misbehavior with the Speaker of the Assembly. Regarding the investigation, Nitish Kumar said that it is the job of the government and the police to take action in such cases. He said the report of the inquiry has to be presented before the court.
He said, ‘Does the House have the right to interfere in the matter? I am completing my fourth term as Chief Minister. I too was once a member of the Legislative Assembly. I have never seen such a procedural discrepancy. Please don’t run the house like this. Sinha began his talk while calming Kumar by mentioning his respect for the Chief Minister’s knowledge and experience, and said it was the Chief Minister’s support that helped me rise to this position.
The Speaker requested, ‘But please understand my difficult position. Initially I tried not to discuss the matter after it was referred to the Committee of Privileges. But members of the ruling party and the opposition created ruckus time and again. After all, I am supposed to be the custodian of the House.’
After this the Chief Minister again stood in his place and said, ‘I will know about the progress made in the matter today itself. The government will look into the recommendations made by the committee. But this matter should not be repeatedly discussed on the floor of the House.