Nitish loses cool, shouts at RJD MLA Rekha Devi in Assembly

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
| Photo Credit: PTI

The Chief Minister, who was speaking on reservation, was assuring the House that he was taking steps to ensure that the proposed quota hike of 65% is implemented. The decision was set aside by the Patna High Court following which the State government approached the Supreme Court.

But the Opposition— the RJD, the Congress and the Left— kept shouting and entered the well of the House. It created a ruckus over Bihar not getting the Special Category Status and the State government not including reservation in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution.

“The Patna High Court has set aside the quota hike and we have gone to the Supreme Court and have also told the Centre to include it in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution,” Mr. Kumar said.

Despite his assurance, the Opposition continued sloganeering. Losing his temper, Mr. Kumar pointed his finger at Ms. Devi, the Masaurhi MLA, who was protesting, and said, “You are a woman, don’t you understand, these people never let women progress. You are a woman, you don’t know anything.”

The Chief Minister asked Ms. Devi if during the RJD’s rule “there was any permission for a woman to speak”. “Did RJD ever promote women? After 2005, I promoted women. Today you are speaking useless things. Listen to what I am saying,” he said.

Mr. Kumar said when the UPA government was in power at the Centre, the Congress did not give special status to the State but is demanding it in the Assembly. “Yesterday, you were protesting, but when we were protesting since 2010 that Bihar should get Special Category Status, then your party did not give it. You people (RJD and Congress) were together,” he said.

The Chief Minister said that following his request, the Centre has started helping Bihar. In the Union Budget, the Centre has given ₹58,900 crore to the State. But the Opposition continued the ruckus and shouted “Nitish Kumar hai hai (down with Nitish Kumar)“. This upset the Chief Minister who shouted back “hai hai”.

Responding to Mr. Kumar’s comments, Ms. Devi said, “I was just speaking my thoughts on reservation. On one hand the Chief Minister talks about women empowerment and on the other hand he speaks like this to women.”

Ms. Devi said the Chief Minister should apologise. “Everyone knows what statements he made on women regarding the population issue. The Chief Minister should express regret. He has grown old and is not able to run Bihar.”