For ‘mimicking’ Nitish Kumar, RJD MLC Sunil Singh expelled from the House

Leader of Opposition in Legislative Council Rabri Devi called Singh’s expulsion a “dark chapter in the history of democracy”.

Singh said, “I never mimicked the CM. Even mimicking the CM does not take away one’s membership from either House. Nitish Kumar is a CM who threatened people like me in the Council saying barbaad kar dunga (I will destroy you). He is a CM who disrespects women. There are several corruption cases during his tenure.”

Another RJD MLC Mohammed Qari Sohaib, who had also tried to mimic the CM, had apologised and was handed two days’ suspension from the Legislative Council. Singh had refused to apologise.

Singh, an upper caste Rajput leader, has been a close associate of RJD chief Lalu Prasad for over two decades now. Singh also heads the Bihar State Cooperative Marketing Union.

The motion for his expulsion was passed by voice vote, a day after the Ethics Committee submitted its report to acting chairman Awadhesh Narain Singh.

He has also been charged with raising slogans against Nitish on February 13, during a heated exchange in the House.

This decision came on the final day of the monsoon session, and Singh’s suspension will take effect when the House reconvenes.

In protest, RJD legislators, including Rabri, arrived at the House wearing black badges.

Ashok Kumar Pandey, an RJD MLC and Ethics Committee member, claimed that although the report stated unanimous recommendations, the proceedings were never shared with the committee despite repeated requests.

Chairman Ram Bachan Rai, a JD(U) MLC, was unavailable for comment on this allegation.

With PTI inputs