The Bihar Appropriation (No 2) Bill 2018 was passed by voice vote in the Assembly to clear the decks for withdrawal of the state's annual budgetary provision for Rs 1.76 lakh crore for 2018-19 from the state's consolidated fund.
The passage of the Apprpriation Bill authorises the government to meet various outstanding expenditure in addition to those sanctioned in the budget 2018-19.
As Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi, who also holds finance portfolio, finished his reply to a debate on the Bill, the opposition RJD members objected to the Speaker's decision to pass the Bill by voice vote and demanded voting on it.
The RJD members staged a dharna in front of the Speaker Vijay Choudhary's chamber and its leader Tejashwi Yadav termed the decision as a "murder of democracy."
Yadav, who was not present in the House when his party pressed for voting, said that he could not enter the Assembly as its gates were closed for voting by the time he reached it.
The party's members shouted slogans and staged a walk out of the House in protest against the Speaker's decision.
"This is murder of democracy. The speaker did not allow voting (head count) as he got an indication from the treasury benches in this regard," Tejashwi told reporters at the assembly premises.
"Chief Minister Nitish Kumar should resign on moral grounds as he has murdered democracy twice. First, by severing his ties with grand alliance and the second time today," he said adding that he would meet the Governor Satya Pal Malik and would apprise him of the situation.
"We will also send our memorandum to the governor through fax/e-mail," the RJD leader said.
Yadav also held a meeting with RJD legislators which was also attended by former CM Jitan Ram Manjhi and Congress leaders.
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