Ruckus by the Opposition BJP over allotment of a room for offering namaz in Jharkhand Assembly disrupted proceedings on Monday.
Before the session began for the day, BJP MLAs sat on the stairs at the entrance of the Assembly chanting Hanuman Chalisa and ‘Hare Rama’ with placards.
As soon as the proceedings for the day began, the BJP members trooped into the Well chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’.
They were demanding the recall of the order pertaining to allotment of the namaz room.
Speaker Ravindra Nath Mahto urged relentless BJP members, including Bhanu Pratap Shahi, to “go back to your seats. You are good members. Please cooperate with the Chair”.
However, as the ruckus continued, the Speaker adjourned the House till 12.45 p.m.
BJP stages demonstrations
BJP workers on Sunday burned the effigies of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren and Speaker Mahto during protests across the State against the decision to allow a ‘Namaz Hall’ in the Assembly.
The Speaker has allotted room number TW 348 for offering namaz, prompting demand from the BJP to build a Hanuman temple and places of worship of other religions on the Assembly premises.
“The BJP will gherao the Assembly and hold demonstrations in every district to protest the move. The House is the temple of democracy and the Hemant Soren government has insulted it by playing appeasement politics,” BJP State chief and Rajya Sabha MP Deepak Prakash said.
“The State government must immediately revoke this unconstitutional and undemocratic decision or else people will hit the streets,” BJP State general secretary Aditya Sahu said.
A notification dated September 2 and signed by Jharkhand Legislative Assembly Deputy Secretary Naveen Kumar by order of the Speaker, which came to the public domain on September 4 said, “Allotment of room number TW 348 as Namaz Hall for offering Namaz in the new Assembly building.” As soon as the notification came to the fore, the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and Congress welcomed it.
“MLAs in the Hemant Soren government openly support the Taliban. A separate Namaz Hall in the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly is a result of this ideology. Otherwise, any person who believes in Indian democracy would not do such an act,” former Chief Minister and BJP national vice-president Raghubar Das had told PTI .
“The State government is tarnishing the dignity of constitutional institutions for appeasement and vote bank politics. This is not a good sign for Jharkhand. The BJP will agitate if the decision is not revoked. I will myself sit on a dharna outside the Assembly,” he said.
BJP chief whip Viranchi Narayan has written a letter to the Speaker warning of approaching the court if the decision is not revoked.
Congress MLA Irfan Ansari, who had courted controversy by allegedly supporting Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, charged that the BJP creates religious conflicts over every issue.
