Ruling MLAs create ruckus in Jharkhand Assembly over SIR, House adjourned twice

The Jharkhand Assembly witnessed uproarious scenes on the third day of the monsoon session on Tuesday, with MLAs of the ruling coalition trooping into the Well of the House protesting against the special intensive revision (SIR).

The BJP legislators followed them into the Well, demanding a CBI probe into the Surya Hansda 'encounter' death case.

The ruckus forced Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahato to adjourn the House twice, first till noon and then till 2 pm.

The assembly also passed a resolution opposing the SIR.

As the House assembled around 11 am, Congress legislature party leader Pradeep Yadav raised the issue of SIR.

''They (BJP) want to steal our votes through SIR. We protest the SIR, and it has to be taken back. We cannot allow theft of our votes,'' Yadav said.

The members of the treasury bench then trooped into the Well, raising the slogan 'vote chor, gaddi chhod' (vote thief, renounce power).

The BJP legislators also trooped into the Well and demanded a CBI probe into the Surya Hansda 'encounter' death case.

The Speaker urged the members to go back to their seats and let the Question Hour function.

But, members from both sides continued with their protests, which led to the adjournment of the House by the Speaker till noon after just five minutes of functioning.

As the House reassembled around noon, Congress leaders raised the SIR issue again.

BJP state chief and Leader of the Opposition Babulal Marandi alleged that the government was ''looting'' tribal lands.

He alleged tribal farmers' lands were being forcibly acquired by the government for the RIMS-2 hospital project in Ranchi's Nagri.

''Our demands are a CBI probe into the Surya Hansda 'encounter' death and return of land to farmers,'' Marandi said.

Hansda, who contested multiple assembly polls, was arrested from Nawadih village in Deoghar on August 10, and the alleged encounter took place when he was being taken to Rahadbadia Hills in Godda district to recover hidden weapons.

He had allegedly snatched a weapon from the police and fired at them while attempting to flee custody. The police retaliated, resulting in his death.

Marandi claimed that the Congress was raising the SIR issue only to divert people's attention from the state's burning issues.

BJP and ruling coalition MLAs again trooped into the Well, raising slogans.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Radhakrishna Kishore said the government would reply to the concerns raised by the Congress legislature party leader Yadav after the lunch break.

When members didn't return to their seats despite repeated requests, the Speaker adjourned the House till 2 pm.

The House resumed around 2pm with the introduction of five Bills, which were passed by voice vote.

A resolution opposing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls was also passed in the assembly.

The resolution was moved by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Radhakrishna Kishore, who alleged that the SIR was intended to directly benefit the ruling dispensation at the Centre.

Opposing the resolution, leader of the opposition Babulal Marandi said, ''This kind of a resolution amounts to conspiracy to enrol Bangladeshi infiltrators and Rohingyas as voters. The BJP will oppose it.'' The House was adjourned till 11am on August 28 by the Speaker, following a special debate on the situation arising in the state due to heavy rainfall.

Earlier in the day, the INDIA bloc members staged a demonstration outside the assembly against the SIR exercise in Bihar and the 130th Constitutional Amendment Bill.

Agriculture Minister and Congress leader Shilpi Neha Tirkey said that conducting SIR ahead of assembly polls in Bihar is a ''conspiracy''.

''A total of 65 lakh voters have been removed from the electoral rolls. These voters belong to the deprived and backward sections of society. Removing their names from the electoral rolls is nothing but a crime,'' Tirkey said.

JMM MLA Hemlal Murmu said the SIR exercise would not be allowed in Jharkhand.

JMM legislator Mangal Kalindi said the BJP-led government wants to ''murder'' the democratic system of the country through the 130th Constitutional Amendment Bill.

''They (BJP) brought the Bill only to serve their vested interests,'' he alleged.

The 130th Constitutional Amendment Bill seeks to bar a prime minister, chief ministers, and ministers from holding office if they remain in jail for 30 days or more.

On SIR, Babulal Marandi said if any voter's name is not in the list, political parties should help add their names.

''Even the Supreme Court has asked the parties to help the Election Commission in the exercise. Only making hue and cry will not help,'' Marandi told reporters outside the assembly.

He said the SIR exercise is also required in Jharkhand in view of ''demographic change''.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)