Ranchi, March 19 A tense moment was witnessed during the 13th day of the Budget session in the Jharkhand Assembly on Wednesday when BJP MLA from Panki, Kushwaha Shashi Bhushan Mehta, tore a question paper in protest.
He accused Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahato of being biased and not allowing him to speak.
The incident created an uncomfortable atmosphere in the House for about 10 minutes. Expressing displeasure over the MLA's actions, the Speaker remarked: "Your conduct is not appropriate."
The confrontation occurred during Question Hour when legislators were presenting their queries. When it was Mehta's turn to speak, he paused briefly while reading his question. Interpreting the pause as a conclusion, Speaker Mahato declared the question as read. This prompted Mehta to accuse the Speaker of partiality.
"Why do you sit here from 12 o'clock if I am not even allowed to read my question?" Mehta asked angrily.
In response, the Speaker invited him to repeat his question and said: "If you wish to make further allegations against the Chair, go ahead."
Mehta, visibly agitated, tore the question paper and threw it in the House, further escalating the situation.
Turning to the Leader of the Opposition, Babulal Marandi, the Speaker said: "Look at how your members are behaving. Such conduct before the Chair is unacceptable."
Marandi attempted to mediate, describing the incident as a misunderstanding. "Shashi Bhushan Mehta paused briefly while reading, and you assumed he had finished. These things happen," he said.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Radha Krishna Kishore also condemned the BJP MLA’s behaviour. "As per the rules, questions should not exceed 50 words, yet we allow longer ones. Such behaviour is inappropriate in the House," he remarked.
He urged both ruling and opposition members to maintain decorum in the House.
The Budget Session of the Jharkhand Assembly will conclude on March 27.
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor