Uproar over Bihar Police Bill; cops manhandle MLAs in assembly

Legislators in Bihar were at the receiving end of lathis and blows both inside and outside the state assembly after they staged protests against a Bill that seeks to give the state police unbridled powers to arrest without a warrant.

Visuals of Opposition MLAs, including women legislators, being forcefully dragged out of the assembly after they blocking the Speaker from coming out of his chambers flooded social media.

Earlier today, Minister Bijendra Yadav presented the Bihar Special Armed Police Bill 2021 for debate. The bill seeks to rename the Bihar Military Police and give it more sweeping powers that allegedly includes arresting people without a warrant.

Marshals had to intervene to prevent opposition MLAs from getting physical with the treasury benches.

The uproar forced repeated adjournments of the House.

MLAs of the grand alliance blocked Speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha in his chambers. As the situation escalated, District Magistrate Chandrashekhar Singh and Senior Superintendent of Police Upendra Sharma arrived at the assembly premises with a contingent of police personnel in riot gear.

What followed was unprecedented as MLAs were thrashed, pushed and dragged out of the assembly.

Hours after the assault of opposition MLAs in Bihar Assembly, RJD MP Manoj Jha gave a suspension of business notice in Rajya Sabha.

• Bihar Police Bill
• Opposition MLAs
• treasure benches
• Bihar assembly
• speaker
• MLAs dragged out
• police manhandle MLAs