Ranchi: On Thursday, the fifth day of the monsoon session of the Jharkhand Assembly, Speaker Rabindranath Mahato suspended 18 BJP MLAs, following the proposal of MLA Sudivya Kumar Sonu. Mahato stated that he was free to make decisions and that this was their privilege. BJP MLAs stayed in the assembly premises for the government’s response on jobs and unemployment allowance. Giridih MLA Sudivya Kumar Sonu named several MLAs and demanded action from the Speaker, who then named several opposition leaders and suspended them, stating that their conduct was not in accordance with the House.
Leader of Opposition Amar Bauri accused the Speaker of murdering democracy in broad daylight and snatching their rights. He argued that Congress had imposed an emergency, but Congress-JMM together imposed an undeclared emergency. Media persons were also banned from attending the session. Bauri criticized the Speaker’s conduct and warned that the public will uproot them in the assembly elections. The Speaker’s behavior is seen as unacceptable and has not been seen since the assembly elections.
