Ruckus in Jharkhand Assembly over BJP leader Anil Mahto's murder

Ranchi: The Jharkhand Assembly on Thursday witnessed a ruckus on Thursday over the murder of a BJP leader.

BJP's Ranchi Rural district general secretary Anil Mahto 'Tiger', a former Zilla Parishad member, was shot dead by motorcycle-borne assailants near Kanke Chowk in the state capital on Wednesday.

Within two minutes of the start of the proceedings, Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahato adjourned the House till 12.55 pm as legislators of both the opposition and the treasury bench trooped into the Well.

As the House assembled for the day's business, BJP legislators raised the issue of the murder of the party leader and alleged that the law and order in the state was deteriorating.

BJP's Ranchi MLA C P Singh urged the Speaker to "stop patronising the murderous government".

Reacting to this allegation, state Tourism Minister Sudivya Kumar accused the BJP of subverting the law and order in the state.

"Criminal incidents are unfortunate... but why has Hazaribag today become the epicentre for such activities... provocation is being made to disturb the law and order.

"The BJP is engaged in subverting the law and order in Jharkhand. An attempt is being made to pit residents against one another and put the state government in the dock," he alleged.

An FIR has been lodged against 10 named and 200 unidentified individuals in connection with a recent clash and stone-pelting incident between two communities in Hazaribag over the playing of an objectionable song during a procession.

The Speaker repeatedly urged members to let the House function but legislators from both benches trooped into Well and raised slogans against one another, prompting Mahato to adjourn the House till 12.55 pm.

When the House reassembled at 12.55 pm, the din continued.

Leader of the Opposition Babulal Marandi demanded a special debate in the House on law and order.

"Even after the murder of Anil Tiger, police engaged in his character assassination, linking him with a murder case in Lohardaga. Police are trying to weaken the case in a planned manner," Marandi alleged.

Asserting that such incidents were unfortunate, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Radha Krishna Kishore called it a "murder of humanity".

"We don't see the murder through the political lens. It's a murder of humanity. The perpetrators of the crime will not be spared and stern action will be taken against them," Kishore asserted.

It cannot be said that law and order in the state is in shambles just because of one incident, he said.

"The state's law and order had never been so good as it is now under the Hemant Soren regime," he claimed.

After five minutes of functioning of the House, the Speaker adjourned it till 2 pm for lunch break.

Earlier, BJP legislators staged protests outside the assembly, demanding that the killers of Anil Mahto 'Tiger' be hanged.

Supporters of the BJP, AJSU Party and other organisations took to the streets in Ranchi on Thursday morning, calling for a nine-hour bandh in the state capital from 8 am to 5 pm over the killing.