Rabri Challenges the Legality of the Censure Motion
Patna: Mar. 21, 2007
On the 10th day of the Assembly boycott by the opposition leaders in Bihar, the leader of the opposition and former Chief Minister Rabri Devi on Wednesday, citing various Acts in the Assembly rules, said the censure motion against the opposition leaders was unconstitutional and demanded it to be withdrawn immediately.
"As per the rules number 29(5), 33(3 and 7), and 63, the ruling party cannot pass a censure motion against the opposition," a well-coached Rabri Devi declared.
Not to be intimidated by her legalese, Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi shot back at Rabri Devi saying the RJD leader needed to look at the rules a little more carefully before talking about the intricacies of the Assembly rules.
"Rule number 60 clearly says that a censure motion can be passed if one engages in personal attack, uses obscenities, or somehow violates the accepted codes of conduct," Modi said.
During the hour-long hotly contested debate, the opposition leaders accused the Speaker of the House Uday Narain Chowdhary of succumbing to the 'trickeries' of the ruling parties.
"The Speaker is acting under pressure from the NDA leaders and has forgotten that his is supposed to be neutral and not biased in favor of any party," Rabri Devi told during a press conference.
Former minister and Rabri Devi's close confidante Shyam Rajak said that by passing censure motion against the opposition leaders, the Speaker has "displayed his immense knowledge of the Assembly".
Modi, on the other hand, slammed the opposition leaders saying the boycott has shown how far the opposition leaders would go 'to protect a notorious criminal'.
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