Jharkhand: 18 BJP MLAs suspended from state assembly following ruckus over CM’s reply

In a significant development in Jharkhand State assembly, eighteen MLAs of the opposition were suspended from the house till 2pm of August 2 after they aggressively protested against the refusal of Chief Minister Hemant Soren to reply to their queries and eviction of the MLAs from the state assembly on Wednesday, July 31.

The opposition members on Thursday entered the well of the assembly demanding a reply from the CM on several issues including promises made for jobs and others. They also started sloganeering on the eviction of the MLAs from the assembly on Wednesday leading to heated exchange of arguments with the members of ruling coalition who alleged the NDA (National Democratic Alliance) MLAs for hijacking the house.

The speaker of the house Ravindra Mahto then suspended 18 MLAs as they refused to roll back their protest. The MLAs were then removed from the house by the marshals after they refused to walk out by their own. The speaker also informed that the Assembly Ethics Committee will probe the conduct of the legislators and submit a report on the matter within a week.

However, the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders following the suspension termed the development as undeclared emergency and asserted that this is just a stretch and there is a big battle ahead.

विधानसभा अध्यक्ष के द्वारा भाजपा के 18 माननीय विधायकों को सदन से निलंबित करने पर अपना पक्ष सदन में रखा 🎙️ pic.twitter.com/5mgccF28V6

— Amar Kumar Bauri (@amarbauri) August 1, 2024

Today, under the undeclared emergency imposed by the JMM (Jharkhand Mukti Morcha)-Congress-RJD (Rashtriya Janata Dal) government, 18 BJP MLAs have been suspended from the assembly for raising voice of the youth, but we are not going to waver from our resolve, the struggle will continue till the pride of the JMM-Congress-RJD government is broken, we will not stop, they added.

Protest by BJP legislators

Notably the BJP legislators refused to walk out from the State assembly on Wednesday seeking a detailed reply from the CM on several issues especially on the promises made to contractual employees and on employment.

Speaking in the house on Wednesday, the leader of opposition, Amar Kumar Bauri emphasised that the BJP legislators have decided not to leave the house till the CM gives a clear answer on the youth and contract workers.

Bauri, while recalling the promises made by CM Soren said that this is the last session of the fifth state assembly and the CM has said that he will speak on the last day of the session, but if he will speak on the last day then we have no way to put the questions of the masses. Thus we have decided that the CM should speak today itself and until he don’t speak we are not going to leave this house.

Following Bauri speech, the BJP legislators started protesting against the refusal of CM to reply to their queries, the party MLAs also displayed banners depicting promises made by the CM following which the house was adjourned for the day.

BJP MLAs spent night in the State assembly’s lobby

However, despite of the adjournment of the house the BJP legislator refused to leave the assembly and sit on a protest in the well itself. Later the MLAs alleged that electricity was cut off when they were inside the assembly. The protesting MLAs were later evicted by the marshals after which they spent the whole night in the lobby of the State assembly.

#WATCH | Union Minister Sanjay Seth says, "Yesterday was a black day for Jharkhand and democracy. And the way the MLAs were demanding answers, 5 years have passed, you (Jharkhand government) had promised 5 lakh jobs, unemployment allowance every year but no answer came… They… pic.twitter.com/duGkeFiZMA

— ANI (@ANI) August 1, 2024

Reacting to the development, Union Minister of State for Defense, Sanjay Seth said, that “yesterday was a black day for Jharkhand and democracy. And the way the MLAs were demanding answers, 5 years have passed, you (Jharkhand government) had promised 5 lakh jobs, unemployment allowance every year but no answer came, they did not do any work for 5 years.”

“In this dictatorial Jharkhand government of Congress and JMM, if any protest takes place, it is suppressed with the force of lathi. BJP government will be formed in Jharkhand soon,” he added.

The MLAs then hold protest outside the State assembly on Thursday morning as well displaying placards against the State government and CM Hemant Soren. Interacting with the media outside the assembly on Thursday, Bauri reiterated that “We are demanding answers from this govt regarding employment and other promises they made while coming to power, 5 years have gone by and according to us, they haven’t done anything. So, people want to know and we want to know.”

Notably, the ongoing session of the state assembly is set to be concluded on Friday, August 2. The state is scheduled to hold assembly elections in the later part of the year where a tough contest is expected between the ruling coalition led by the JMM and the prime opposition BJP.