Outgoing Bihar speaker did not want a Dalit to preside over House, says his deputy
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Patna (PTI): Bihar Assembly Deputy Speaker Maheshwar Hazari on Wednesday accused outgoing Speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha of having insulted Dalits by denying him the opportunity to conduct proceedings of the House after stepping down.
Sinha, after announcing his resignation and adjourning proceedings till 2 pm, had said that Narendra Narayan Yadav of the JD(U) shall be in chair in the post-lunch session.
Hazari, also of the JD(U), was later seated inside the speaker's chamber by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav, among others.
It appears that the speaker did not want a Dalit to preside over the House. By denying me the opportunity, he has insulted Dalits, Hazari told reporters before commencement of the post-lunch session.
Narayan Yadav, however, took the chair after lunch and announced that the deputy speaker shall preside over the session.
The deputy speaker subsequently adjourned the proceedings for 20 minutes.
Earlier, Sinha's move was strongly opposed inside the House by minister for parliamentary affairs Vijay Kumar Chaudhary, who is a former speaker himself.
RJD MLA Bhai Virendra said, Sinha has indulged in mischief but we have a way out. Yadav may take the chair at 2 pm and announce that the proceedings shall be conducted by the deputy speaker.
Key businesses like election of a new speaker and debate on a motion of confidence moved by the new 'Mahagathbandhan' government were scheduled during the day.
Meanwhile, after resigning, Sinha walked down to the BJP office, less than a kilometre away, where he said, I feel like returning to my mother's lap. My tenure lasted for 20 months during which I functioned in accordance with the values instilled in me by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. Now a new chapter begins.
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TVK chief should be given opportunity to prove majority in TN Assembly: Omar
Srinagar (PTI): Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday said there was no justification for the Tamil Nadu governor to stop TVK leader Vijay from forming the government, and he should be provided an opportunity to prove majority in the assembly.
Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar on Thursday rejected TVK chief Vijay's claim to form the government, stating that his party lacks the requisite numbers.
The Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) has fallen short of meeting a simple majority to form the government in Tamil Nadu. Though the Congress with five MLAs has offered support to TVK, Vijay's party falls short of a simple majority of 118 in the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly.
Abdullah said there was no justification for President's rule in Tamil Nadu in view of numerous Supreme Court judgements emphasising on inviting the single largest party to form the government and then prove its majority on the floor of the house.
"If we see the Supreme Court judgement, then there should be no President's rule. There are so many cases in which the SC has clearly stated that after the elections, the single largest party should be invited (for government formation) and they should be allowed to prove their majority in the assembly," Abdullah told reporters here when asked about the political situation in Tamil Nadu.
"It happened when (former prime minister) (A B) Vajpayee formed the government for 13 days, the President of India did not wait for him to show his numbers. The President of India invited him, the government was there for 13 days, but when Vajpayee did not have the numbers, he resigned," he said.
So, if we take the SC judgement, the J-K CM added, then the Tamil Nadu Lok Bhavan "has no justification to stop this process".
"Vijay should be allowed to form the government, and then he should be provided an opportunity to prove his majority and if he proves, he will remain, but if not, then he will have to resign," Abdullah said.
To a question on whether there would be impact of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Jammu and Kashmir, the CM said its impact remains to be seen in the rest of the country first as the assembly elections in the Union territory were not due till 2029.
"As of now it (SIR) has happened in Bengal only. Why are you worried about J-K? The elections are not to take place here till 2029. Let us first see its impact in the rest of the country. What we had to suffer (in J-K), we have. We suffered their delimitation, which was done to benefit the BJP and its friends. Let's see what happens in the future," he said.
On the reported remarks of Leader of Opposition in the J-K assembly, Sunil Sharma, that if the chief minister goes for cabinet expansion, then his party, the National Conference (NC), would suffer like the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra and someone like Eknath Shinde would emerge here as well, Abdullah said all his MLAs stand firmly with the party.
"This tells about the intentions of the BJP. 'Aaya Ram Gaya Ram' (turncoats). Eknath Shinde left because the BJP helped him to leave. It is obvious that the LoP is impatient to hold the chair of the chief minister of J-K. I will only tell him that there is no Eknath Shinde in the National Conference. NC's MLAs stand firmly with the party," he said.
Abdullah said the cabinet expansion is on hold because statehood has not been restored to J-K.
"Cabinet expansion is not on hold because of any fear and that is why I regularly say that the LoP proves through statements like this that till the BJP does not get power, they will not allow us to work smoothly and will not make J-K a state again," he said.
Hitting out at the LoP and the BJP, the J-K CM said the people of J-K, especially those who voted for the BJP in the last elections, should remember that the LoP and his party "indulge in the politics of blackmail and the people here are intimidated in the name of statehood".
