During a protest against Bihar Special Armed Police Bill 2021, several Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MLAs were flogged by the police who were summoned inside the Bihar Assembly to assist the marshals to expel the RJD opposition members. MLA Satish Kumar was allegedly manhandled by “police and local goons” and had to be carried out on a stretcher from Bihar Assembly.
This incident took place when the RJD members were trying to physically hold Assembly Speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha hostage inside his chamber and prevent him from taking his Chair.
Several Opposition legislators, including RJD MLA Sudhakar Singh and CPM legislator Satyendra Yadav, fell unconscious and had to be rushed to the hospital in an ambulance as he was brutally beaten. MLA Satish Kumar had to be carried out on a stretcher. ANI shows women MLAs of the Opposition being carried out of the assembly building by the women security personnel.
The visuals of the incident, now viral on social media, show RJD MLA Sudhakar Singh being relentlessly kicked by the police.
What triggered the incident was the new bill that was tabled by Nitish Kumar’s government on Tuesday with regard to empowering Bihar Military Police (BMP). The law also gives the police more draconian powers allowing them to arrest people without a warrant, and search anyone’s premises without a warrant, on the basis of suspicion. According to the rules so far, only the district police have the powers to conduct arrests.
In protest against this Bill, the RJD leaders created a ruckus during the assembly proceedings, pressuring the Speaker to adjourn the House multiple times.
The Opposition raised slogans against the Bill. After several interruptions, Cabinet minister Bijender Yadav finally tabled the Bill at 3 p.m. in spite of the massive pandemonium against the Bill. After the Bill was tabled, Vijay Kumar Sinha was compelled to adjourn the House till 4:30.
After the Bill was tabled, Opposition legislators sat in protest outside the Speaker’s chamber trying to block him from going inside the House to reconvene the proceedings. This was when the police were summoned in and the legislators were mercilessly thrashed by the police.
Tejashwi Yadav said, “A careful reading of the proposed Bill and opinion of legal experts show the Bill can forfeit courts’ authority to take cognizance of complainants arrested by the proposed special armed police force. The Bill seeks to change the name of Bihar Military Police (BMP), which has 21 battalions to Bihar Special Armed Police (BSAP).”
The incident has raised outrage as the videos of police flogging the legislators went viral on social media and the RJD stated that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s days are numbered. It was shocking that elected MLAs were being thrashed like local goons. It raises the concern that if MLAs can be beaten so brutally, how much more brutal can the police be on the common citizen. The new law, in fact, seeks to administer more draconian powers to the police.
Yogendra Yadav, Political activist and National President of Swaraj India, “What has happened in Bihar Assembly today is unbelievably shocking and disturbing. Marks another low of respect for constitutional practices.
How ironically sad that this is happening on the birthday of Rammanohar Lohia, the once guiding light of
@NitishKumar”
What has happened in Bihar Assembly today is unbelievably shocking and disturbing.
Marks another low of respect for constitutional practices.How ironically sad that this is happening on the birthday of Rammanohar Lohia, the once guiding light of @NitishKumar https://t.co/hTKwwCSe86
— Yogendra Yadav (@_YogendraYadav) March 23, 2021