Opp walk out of Assembly protesting Speakers ruling

Patna, Dec 13 (UNI) The Opposition, barring SP, today staged a noisy walkout of the Bihar Assembly objecting the Speaker's ruling over a privilege notice against Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi.

Soon after Speaker Udai Narayan Choudhry rejected the privilege notice of the RJD and gave his ruling quoting norms and conditions laid under the rules and business of the House, RJD's Shakeel Ahmad Khan raised objection.

But Mr Choduhry maintained that no member could speak once the ruling was given by the Chair.

Mr Khan, along with his party colleagues, however, said the same rules allow some of the members to exhibit their displeasure over the ruling and it would be meaningless to attend the session if they were not allowed to express their objections.

At this point the RJD members along with those of Congress, LJP, BSP and the Left parties walked out of the Lower House.

Earlier, soon after completion of Question Hour Mr Choudhry, referring to the privilege notice served yesterday by the RJD against Mr Modi, turned it down and did not allow them to raise it.

The party had served the notice on Mr Modi for giving his reaction to the media even before his scheduled statement in the House over the issue of alleged humiliation of security guards of the leader of the Opposition in the Assembly by the senior Police Superintendent.

Apart from the laid rules, Mr Choudhry cited various instances on the similar matter brought before Parliament on September 17, 1956 against the then Defence Minister and in the state assemblies of Rajasthan in 1959 and Bihar in 1972 and 2003, and observed that Mr Modi had not breached privilege. He did not permit the RJD members to raise the matter in the Lower House.

UNI