Bihar Assembly adjourned twice following Opposition's protest

Patna, Feb 25 (UNI) The Budget Session of the Bihar Assembly was adjourned twice today during the first session, following continuous protest by the Opposition members.

As soon as the House assembled for the day, Opposition members belonging to Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and CPI(ML) started demanding admission of separate Adjournment Motion, suspending the Question-Hour to voice their protest against the murder of their respective party leaders last week at Bhagalpur and Pipra in West Champaran district.

As Speaker Uday Narayan Chaudhary refused to admit either of the Motions for a detailed discussion and only allowed the members to read them, all the CPI(ML) and RJD memberes, led by Opposition Leader Rabri Devi, trooped into the well and started shouting anti-government slogans to disrupt the House proceedings.

To control the situation, the Speaker adjourned the House for the first time for 35 minutes at 1125 hours.

As soon as the House re-assembled at 1200 hours, the Oppostion members rushed to the well once again and continued their protest for demanding immediate discussion on their respective Adjournment Motions.

After a few minutes, when the Speaker again felt that the calling attention period could not be continued further, he adjourned the House for the second time at 1216 hours till 1400 hours.

However, before adjourning the House for the second time, the Speaker announced that when the House could re-assemble, the members would discuss on the Governor's February 22 address before the joint sitting of both the Houses of the state Legislature, when Finance Minister Sushil Kumar Modi would place the budget for 2008-09 in the House at 1500 hours.

Though the Congress and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) members did not troop into the well, they extended their support to the RJD and CPI(ML)'s demand.

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