Patna: The Monsoon session of the Bihar Assembly began on Monday amid protests by opposition parties over rising crime, unemployment, and the ongoing revision of the voter list ahead of the state elections.
Leaders from the Congress and Left parties staged demonstrations outside the Assembly, accusing the Nitish Kumar-led NDA government of ignoring key public issues. Carrying placards and shouting slogans, Congress MLAs, including State Congress President Rajesh Ram and Congress Legislative Party leader Shakeel Ahmed Khan, demanded answers from the government on deteriorating law and order.
“The youth of Bihar are troubled by unemployment and forced migration. In such a situation, does the Assembly need to run without addressing these issues?” said Khan. He alleged that the government is attempting to bypass public scrutiny by focusing solely on passing legislation while avoiding opposition questions.
He also claimed that neither the state nor the central government is willing to hear the voices of the Opposition.
Left party MLAs also held a separate demonstration, wearing black clothes and holding posters to protest against the ongoing special revision of the electoral roll. They demanded an immediate halt to the process, alleging it was being used to deliberately exclude the names of the poor and minority communities from the voter list with the involvement of the Election Commission and the Centre.
Posters carried slogans such as “Election thief, leave the throne”, reflecting the depth of the opposition’s anger over the revision exercise.
The Monsoon session is expected to be contentious, with the ruling NDA planning to introduce and pass around 12 Bills. The Opposition, meanwhile, has vowed to raise issues such as law and order, voter list manipulation, and unemployment both within and outside the House.