The Opposition in Jharkhand Assembly today claimed state Agriculture Minister Randhir Singh attracted privilege proceedings over his reported "cash-for-questions" allegations against the Opposition.
Raising a clipping of a newspaper report quoting Singh on the issue as soon as the session began, Opposition members trooped to the Well of the House and protested for about 20 minutes.
The Leader of Opposition and former chief minister Hemant Soren informed Speaker Dinesh Oraon that the minister's allegations had hurt the Opposition members.
"It is a matter of breach of privilege as it lowered the dignity of the House. We are hurt," Soren said.
Stating that the Opposition had moved an adjournment motion on the issue, senior JMM leader and former deputy chief minister Stephen Marandi said the minister should be asked to inform the House as to who had taken money for raising questions as mentioned in the report.
When the Speaker asked the minister present his side, Singh said it was an old clipping and matters related to outside the Assembly should not figure in the House.
Singh also accused the Opposition of playing politics over tribal/moolwasis (locals), which sparked protests by the Opposition.
Seeing the tone and tenor of Singh's reply, the Speaker asked him to put his side politely.
Intervening in the matter, Chief Minister Raghubar Das said allegations and counter allegations do happen outside the House irrespective of parties, and opposition parties accuse the government of corruption, anti-tribal and anti-moolwasi.
Referring to the minister's reply that whether comments made outside should be raised in the House, Das said it was not permitted so far his knowledge on Parliamentary traditions.
Das said he expressed regret if anybody's sentiment was hurt by the comments.
The Chief Minister also said nobody had the right to cast aspersions on individuals without evidence and referred how the Opposition accused the bureaucracy, taking individual names, which should be stopped.
