Opposition boycotts Bihar Assembly

Patna, Mar 13 (UNI) The Opposition, barring Samjawadi Party, today boycotted the proceedings of Bihar Assembly, demanding withdrawal of a censure motion adopted in the house yesterday.

After a meeting of the Opposition parties outside the House, leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Rabri Devi said the boycott would continue until the government withdrew the censure motion against the Opposition.

The meeting was attended by Maheshwar Prasad Singh, Rajendra Prasad Singh, Ramdeo Verma, Awadhesh Kumar Singh and Ramchandra Singh--floor leaders parties of the LJP, the CPI, the CPM, the Congress and the Bahujan Samaj Party respectively.

The Opposition members described the censure motion passed against them in the house as ''undemocratic and assault'' on their democratic rights.

They alleged that if any member try to raise an issue in the house, the government adopts repressive measures. Even outside the house, commonmen and political leaders are subjected to police atrocities if they protest the failures of the government,they claimed.

Meanwhile, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar told reporters that the censure motion was passed against certain members for their ''indecent'' behaviour in the house and added that Opposition could not be censured as they were also part of the House.

He alleged that Opposition members were trying to raise such issues which had nothing to do with the house, adding that they were adopting such tactics out of frustration following their failure of as responsible Opposition.

When asked about the possibility of breaking the deadlock over the issue, Mr Kumar said option was always there to find a solution to any problem in parliamentary democracy.

Assembly Speaker Udai Narain Chaudhary would talk to the Opposition leaders on the issue to end the crisis, he added.

UNI