Jharkhand Assembly Witnesses Protest Over The Assault On Agnivesh
Jharkhand Urban Development Minister C P Singh also made a scathing remark against Agnivesh branding him as “fraud” and a “foreign agent”.
Ranchi, July 18
Opposition parties today staged a noisy protest in Jharkhand assembly over the assault on social activist Swami Agnivesh in Pakur yesterday forcing adjournment of the house till lunch break.
Pandemonium prevailed in the house despite Parliamentary Affairs Minister Nilkanth Singh Munda saying that Chief Minister Raghubar Das had set up a probe committee immediately after receiving the information.
“Such things should not happen in a democracy,” Munda added.
As the opposition continued their slogans and trooped to the well-demanding action against the guilty, the minister asked why they did not bring the issue of last month’s Khunti gang-rape case, triggering noisy scenes by the opposition members belonging to the JMM, the Congress and the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik-JVM).
The opposition members also held placards in support of their demand, which was seized by the watch and ward staff of the House.
Leader of the opposition Hemant Soren demanded immediate arrest of the culprits.
Speaker Dinesh Oraon said that the adjournment motion moved by Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) MLA Pradip Yadav on the issue was rejected following the minister’s statement in the House that a probe committee was set up.
Asking the members to allow the question hour, the speaker requested them repeatedly to bring order to the house but the pandemonium continued.
Initially he adjourned the house till 12:45 PM. later when it reassembled amidst the continued din, the speaker adjourned the proceedings till 2 PM.
Swami Agnivesh, a nationally prominent 79-year-old social activist known for his work against bonded labour, was slapped, kicked around and verbally abused in Jharkhand’s Pakur town yesterday by a mob, which he said belonged to BJP-affiliated youth groups who accused him of speaking against Hindus.
Jharkhand Urban Development Minister C P Singh while talking to reporters outside assembly made a scathing remark against Agnivesh branding him as “fraud” and a “foreign agent”.