BJP MLAs create ruckus in Jharkhand Assembly over University Bill

Question Hour proceedings were disrupted on Thursday in Jharkhand Assembly with Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahato adjourning the House amid protests by BJP members on the state university Bill and other issues. The House assembled for the day around 11 am with Congress legislature party leader Pradeep Yadav raising the demand of Bharat Ratna to former chief minister Shibu Soren and installation of idols of Bhimrao Ambedkar, Sido-Kahnu and Dishom Guru Shibu Soren in the assembly complex. As the Question Hour began, BJP's Hatia MLA Naveen Jaiswal alleged the state government is politicising education by passing Jharkhand State University Bill,2025. "The bill is an attempt to seize the Governor's power, prevent students' election. Students are agitating on the streets. This is the issue of students and education," Jaiswal said.

The Jharkhand government passed the state university Bill in the assembly on Tuesday. Jaiswal also raised the issue of 'encounter' death of Surya Hansda and demanded a CBI probe. Replying to Jaiswal on the State University Bill, Higher and Technical Education minister Sudivya Kumar alleged that the opposition is spreading confusion over students' election in universities. "Students' democratic rights were not violated in the bill," he said. Thereafter, BJP MLAs trooped into the Well of the House, which was followed by the members of the treasury bench.

The speaker urged the members to go back to their seats and let the question hour function. "If members continue to disrupt question hour like this, they should not put questions next time. This will diminish the importance of question hour, and its responsibility will fall on members. I think people will form an opinion over the importance of assembly and disruption of question hour in future. So, I request the members to let the question hour function," Mahato said. Members from both sides continued to create ruckus in the House. Then, the Speaker adjourned the House till 12 noon after 10 minutes of its functioning.