Laloo loses cool in House, threatens Samata MLA

PATNA, JULY 21: An otherwise jovial Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Laloo Prasad Yadav on Thursday lost his cool, turned aggressive and created...

PATNA, JULY 21: An otherwise jovial Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Laloo Prasad Yadav on Thursday lost his cool, turned aggressive and created history in the Bihar Assembly by threatening Samata member Bhagwan Singh with cutting his tongue off.

A stunned House witnessed Laloo and his two RJD colleagues Dadan Yadav and Surendra Yadav using rough words against Singh. Laloo, who usually indulges in jokes in the Assembly, got enraged when Singh said that Lalit Yadav – the former minister who maimed a driver – was hiding at Chief Minister Rabri Devi’s residence. At this, Laloo threatened to take action against Singh. Dadan and Surendra even rushed towards the Opposition benches.

Realising that the situation was getting out of hand, Speaker Sadanand Singh adjourned the House for 10 minutes. But this failed to dissuade Laloo. Though Singh apologised for his remark, it did little to pacify the enraged RJD chief.

Later, Opposition members met the Speaker in his chamber and agreed that Singh and Laloo should apologise for their conduct. After the House assembled, Singh apologised but Laloo refused to do so. Leader of the Opposition Sushil Mody intervened and requested the Speaker to direct Laloo to abide by the decision. When Laloo refused, the entire Opposition staged a walk-out, and BJP and Samata members sat on a dharna before the Speaker’s chamber, demanding protection for the members.

House proceedings were stalled for three whole hours. Even senior JD (U) leader Inder Singh Namdhari failed to persuade the treasury benches to apologise and was booed down by RJD members when he persisted.

It was only at 4.45 in the evening that Laloo agreed to apologise, though half-heartedly.

Later, talking to The Indian Express, Mody expressed his apprehensions on “the manner in which the House was functioning”. “ One cannot rule out the possibility that some day violence will take place inside the House. I perceive even the use of firearms by the members,” he said.

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Mody further said: “What happened today was unparalleled in the history of the Bihar Assembly. Never in the past has any such incident taken place.” He charged Laloo with “trying to terrorise the new members”.

He added that the RJD chief had formed the habit of instigating his members to attack the Opposition. In the past, two such incidents had taken place but so far, no action had been taken against the concerned members, he added.

Incidentally, Singh’s remarks were prompted by the Opposition’s demand during zero hour, to take action against Lalit Yadav for his heinous act. He said that Lalit Yadav had been hiding in Patna and the government should ensure that he was arrested at the earliest.