Marshals bring Jharkhand BJP MLAs out of the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly during their protest amid the Monsoon session, in Ranchi, on July 31, 2024.
| Photo Credit: PTI
Eighteen Jharkhand BJP MLAs were suspended from the assembly till 2 p.m. of August 2 and were removed by marshals after they refused to leave the House on August 1, 2024.
Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahto took action against the BJP members, who had been protesting since Wednesday against Chief Minister Hemant Soren for not replying to their questions in House. The Speaker suspended them for disrupting House proceedings even on Thursday.
The BJP legislators trooped into the well ahead of the start of the session and raised slogans demanding resignation of Chief Minister Hemant Soren. They were also seen tearing some documents in the well.
Members of the ruling and opposition parties were seen exchanging heated arguments before the start of the session.
The BJP MLAs who are suspended are Anant Ojha, Raj Sinha, Neera Yadav, Kishun Das, CP Singh, Kedar Hazra, Aparna Sengupta, Biranchi Narayan, Samri Lal, Navin Jaiswal, Shashi Bhushan Mehta, Pushpa Devi, Narayan Das, Koche Munda, Bhanu Pratap Shahi, and Amit Mandal.
The legislators told media persons outside the assembly that it was “murder” of democracy by the Speaker at the behest of the JMM-led government in the State.
”The Speaker’s act against BJP legislators showed that State government has turned into dictatorship,“ alleged Leader of Opposition in State assembly Amar Bauri of BJP.
“We requested the government to reply questions raised by BJP MLAs on issues related with people of the state. It’s an attempt to suppress the voice of Opposition,“ Mr. Bauri added.
Assembly elections in the state are due later this year.
(With inputs from PTI)
