Ruckus in Jharkhand Assembly as corruption charges traded

Ranchi, Aug 24: The Jharkhand Assembly on Monday witnessed stormy scenes as state Urban Development minister C P Singh and Leader of Opposition Hemant Soren traded corruption charges.

Amid opposition shouts and slogans, Singh alleged that Soren had illegally purchased tribal land, accusing his sister-in-law and JMM MLA Sita Soren of receiving money from a candidate during a Rajya Sabha election.

The charges by the minister against the former chief minister came after the JMM moved an adjournment motion against him demanding his resignation as he "misguided" the Election Commission during filing of nominations and accused him of committing irregularities in the Harmu Housing Board allotments.

Denying both charges, Singh said he had purchased a 3,000 sq ft plot from a person in a transparent manner and asserted that all property-related documents and IT returns had been submitted to the EC during the 2009 and 2014 polls.

Rejecting the adjournment motion, Speaker Dinesh Oraon told the House that the minister had the right to respond to the allegations against him, but it would be in his individual capacity and would not be taken as a reply from the government.

All the while opposition members trooped into the Well and raised slogans against the government, forcing the Speaker to adjourn the House for an hour from 11.30 AM.

The ruckus continued even after resumption of the House and Speaker Oraon adjourned the House till tomorrow after the minister's reply and Parliamentary Affairs minister Saryu Roy tabling the supplementary budget.

The Speaker had also rejected other adjournment motions brought by separate opposition parties demanding regularisation of jobs of para (ad hoc) teachers and scrapping of an FIR against a Congress MLA.

PTI