Ruling MLAs create ruckus in Jharkhand Assembly over SIR, House adjourned twice

Ranchi, Aug 26 (PTI) The Jharkhand Assembly witnessed uproarious scenes on the third day of the monsoon session on Tuesday, with MLAs of the ruling parties trooping into the Well of the House protesting against the special intensive revision (SIR).

The BJP legislators followed them into the Well, demanding a CBI probe into the Surya Hansda 'encounter' death case.

The ruckus forced Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahato to adjourn the House twice, first till noon and then till 2 pm.

As the House assembled around 11 am, Congress legislature party leader Pradeep Yadav raised the issue of SIR.

"They (BJP) want to steal our votes through SIR. We protest the SIR, and it has to be taken back. We cannot allow theft of our votes," Yadav said.

The members of the treasury bench then trooped into the Well, raising the slogan 'vote chor, gaddi chhod' (vote thief, renounce power).

The BJP legislators also trooped into the Well and demanded a CBI probe into the Surya Hansda 'encounter' death case.

The Speaker urged the members to go back to their seats and let the Question Hour function.

But, members from both sides continued with their protests, which led to the adjournment of the House by the Speaker till noon after just five minutes of functioning.

As the House reassembled around noon, Congress leaders raised the SIR issue again.

BJP state chief and Leader of the Opposition Babulal Marandi alleged that the government was "looting" tribal lands.

BJP alleged tribal farmers' lands were being forcibly acquired by the government for the RIMS-2 hospital project in Ranchi's Nagri.

"Our demands are a CBI probe into the Surya Hansda 'encounter' death and return of land to farmers," Marandi said.

Marandi claimed that the Congress was raising the SIR issue only to dilute the state's burning issues.

BJP and ruling MLAs again trooped into the Well, raising slogans.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Radhakrishna Kishore said the government would reply to the issues raised by the BJP after the lunch break.

When members didn't return to their seats despite repeated requests, the Speaker adjourned the House till 2 pm.

Earlier in the day, INDIA bloc members staged a demonstration outside the assembly against the SIR exercise in Bihar and the 130th Constitutional Amendment Bill.

Agriculture Minister and Congress leader Shilpi Neha Tirkey said that conducting SIR ahead of assembly polls in Bihar is a "conspiracy".

"A total of 65 lakh voters have been removed from the electoral rolls. These voters belong to the deprived and backward sections of society. Removing their names from the electoral rolls is nothing but a crime," Tirkey said.

JMM MLA Hemlal Murmu said the SIR exercise would not be allowed in Jharkhand.

JMM legislator Mangal Kalindi said the BJP-led government wants to "murder" the democratic system of the country through the 130th Constitutional Amendment Bill.

"They (BJP) brought the Bill only to serve their vested interests," he alleged.

The 130th Constitutional Amendment Bill seeks to bar a prime minister, chief ministers, and ministers from holding office if they remain in jail for 30 days or more.

On SIR, Babulal Marandi said if any voter's name is not in the list, political parties should help add their names.

"Even the Supreme Court has asked the parties to help the Election Commission in the exercise. Only making hue and cry will not help," Marandi told reporters outside the assembly.

He said the SIR exercise is also required in Jharkhand in view of "demographic change". PTI SAN ACD