The ruling JD(U) and opposition today bitterly traded charges in the assembly over death of 23 students in the Chapra midday meal tragedy with the government terming the incident as a conspiracy and alleging that the food served was deliberately poisoned, a charge which the BJP and RJD MLAs condemned before staging separate walk out.
Replying to nearly a two-hour debate on the midday meal tragedy on adjournment motion tabled by the RJD legislature party leader Abdul Bari Siddique in the house, Education Minister P K Shahi said the midday meal served to children of the primary school in Dharmasati Gandaman village in Saran district on July 16 was poisoned intentionally at the behest of the suspended principal Meena Devi's husband Arjun Rai.
Rai, along with his brother Dhruv Rai, had purchased the deadly poison, called monocrotophos, from Singhulia sugar mill only two days before the tragedy happened, he said.
"Who is Arjun Rai and what is his political background?" he asked amid vociferous opposition by the RJD MLAs who trooped into the well of the house to protest the education minister's conspiracy theory and apparently trying to link Rai's alleged connection with their party.
"We have signature of Rai and his brother at Singhaulia sugar mill which corroborates that the deadly poison was purchased by the duo," he said.
The ongoing probe (by a Special Investigation Team) SIT into Chapra midday meal tragedy was also looking into purchase of monocrotophos by the suspended principal's husband and reason behind it, the Education minister said, adding that the truth will come out soon.
"What could be the reason behind purchase of monocrotophos as the use of even one MM of the poison could kill 1000 rats?" he asked.
