Patna: The Nitish Kumar-led government has lodged two first information reports (FIRs) against opposition MLAs, office bearers of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and former ministers, including RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, Abdul Bari Siddiqui, Tej Pratap Yadav, Shyam Rajak and Jagadanand Singh.The first FIR was lodged at the Gandhi Maidan police station in Patna for taking out a protest rally without permission and allegedly pelting stones at the police. A police officer told The Wire, “The district magistrate has lodged an FIR against Tejashwi Yadav and other MLAs along with 3,000 unknown workers of the RJD. Various sections of the Indian Penal Code and Epidemic Act have been slapped against them.”The RJD had on March 23 organised a protest march to the assembly against unemployment, inflation and fuel price hike. The march was intercepted by police, midway near Dak Bunglow crossing, where police personnel lathi-charged at the crowd and used water cannons to disperse the protesters. The RJD workers too threw stones at the policemen. Several policemen and RJD workers were injured. The police later arrested Tejashwi Yadav and other leaders, who were released after sometime.The second FIR was lodged at the Kotwali police station against 21 persons, including Tejashwi Yadav and other opposition MLAs and leaders, for allegedly creating ruckus in the assembly by taking speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha hostage for several hours and misbehaving with him. Later, additional force was sent to the assembly who dragged many MLAs, including the women legislators, out of the house. This was perhaps the first time in history that police force had to enter the assembly to control the mayhem.Unprecedented ruckus in the assembly was a fallout of the Bihar Special Armed Police Bill, 2021, which was passed on March 23. Terming the Bill as ‘draconian’, opposition leaders moved an adjournment motion against the Bill saying it will empower the police to arrest and search any person without a warrant.RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said, “The draconian Act will give absolute powers to police, so that it can act as a veritable arm of Nitish’s dictatorial politics, has been passed in police protection by throwing out battered MLAs using police itself.” He alleged that the police force has misbehaved with women MLAs. He tweeted regarding this, and later, demanded apologies from chief minister Nitish Kumar.मैं विधानसभा में नीतीश कुमार और उनके पालतू अधिकारियों द्वारा माननीय सदस्यों व महिला विधायकों की बर्बर पिटाई, गालियां और उनके साथ दुर्व्यवहार को भूलूंगा नहीं। CM जो अधिकारी लिखकर दे देते है वो पढ़ देते है। उन्हें बाद में याद आयेगा कि उन्होंने किस निर्लज्ज परंपरा की शुरूआत की थी। pic.twitter.com/fr1JYe8KnL— Tejashwi Yadav (@yadavtejashwi) March 24, 2021 “They have set an unparliamentary trend. If CM does not apologise for the incident, we may boycott the assembly for the remaining tenure,” Tejashwi tweeted.My Name is Tejashwi. CM Nitish & his puppet officers must know that no govt is permanent. MLAs were abused and beaten inside the Assembly. They have set an unparliamentary trend. If CM does not apologise for the incident, we may boycott the Assembly for the remaining tenure.— Tejashwi Yadav (@yadavtejashwi) March 24, 2021 Rahul Gandhi criticised the Nitish government and said, “It is clear from the shameful incident at the assembly that the chief minister has become part of the RSS-BJP. Those who defy democracy have no right to be the government. The opposition will still keep raising its voice in the public interest, we are not afraid.”#बिहार विधानसभा की शर्मनाक घटना से साफ़ है कि मुख्यमंत्री पूरी तरह RSS/BJP-मय हो चुके हैं।लोकतंत्र का चीरहरण करने वालों को सरकार कहलाने का कोई अधिकार नहीं है।विपक्ष फिर भी जनहित में आवाज़ उठाता रहेगा- हम नहीं डरते!— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) March 24, 2021 Taking a dig at the opposition party, speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha said that the opposition has behaved violently, which is condemnable.Supporting the Bill, Nitish Kumar said that it will not only take care of the people but it is for the safety of the people.Also read: The Rise of Tejashwi Yadav Signals Significant Change in Bihar PoliticsThe Bihar Special Armed Police Bill, 2021The Bihar Military Police, which is the armed police of the state, works under the Bengal Military Police Act, 1892. It comprises 16 battalions, where each battalion has around 1,000 personnel.The Bihar government wanted to rename it as the Bihar Special Armed Police. For this, the government had introduced the Bihar Special Armed Police Bill, 2021, in the assembly last week.However, the new Bill not only replaced the old name, but made certain amendments to the old Act, which has raised eyebrows of the opposition.Nitish Kumar said in the House that the old Act’s provisions needed to be updated in the new situation that has arisen in the state.According to the Special Armed Police Bill’s provision, any person can be arrested on the basis of suspicion and without any warrant.A Patna-based senior journalist told The Wire on the condition of anonymity, “The provisions of CrPC (criminal procedure code) also give such rights, but a lack of informed debate and trust deficit in general with the police force has caused such a mess in the case of this new Bill.”“Government should have discussed it at length before passing it,” he said.Retired IPS officer Shankar Sen too cited the CrPC sections which give similar power to the police, and said, “This is a fact that the police abuse the power and work under the influence of state government, so senior officers must ensure that these sections are not misused.”Also read: Bihar: What Nitish Kumar and JD(U) Hope To Achieve Through Upendra Kushwaha’s MergerRecent rows over government decisionsSince Nitish Kumar secured a fourth term as chief minister of Bihar in November last year, he has sparked controversies many times.In November last year, he had appointed MLA Mewalal Chaudhary as education minister, who faced corruption charges. It turned out to be a huge embarrassment for the government and after protests he was sacked.In January this year, Bihar Police had issued an order which the opposition termed as a move to curb freedom of speech. According to the order, offensive/indecent posts against government, ministers, MPs and state government officials may land persons (who write any post on social media) in jail.Early this month, police had lodged FIRs against two journalists for tweeting about the alleged paper leak in matriculation examination.In February, Bihar Police had issued a circular which was indirectly warning youths not to participate in protests. According to the circular, if any person is involved in any criminal act by participating in any law and order situation, protest demonstrations, road jams etc. and the police files charge-sheet against them, then it should be included prominently in their police verification. Such persons will not get government jobs/contracts.In January, the Nitish government had shunted an IPS officer, who in his letter to all the superintendents of police, had alleged that despite the prohibition, illegal business of liquor is flourishing in the state with the help of police, excise officials and mafias. The letter was later reportedly withdrawn.
