Patna, February 24 Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar lost his temper inside the state assembly on Tuesday when opposition members created a commotion, alleging that his government was ruling the state with the help of "guns and bullets".
Trouble began soon after the House assembled at 11 am, with RJD MLA Kumar Sarvajeet rising in his seat to protest against the lathi charge on village "chowkidars" (watchmen) here a day earlier, when they were staging a demonstration to demand a hike in their stipends.
"The "chowkidars" who were demanding a pay raise are, in fact, employees of the Home Department. Yet, they were treated in a deplorable manner yesterday," Sarvajeet alleged.
Several other MLAs from the opposition party rose in their seats and shouted the slogan "no government will function with guns and bullets".
This provoked Kumar, the longest-serving Chief Minister of the state, who heads the JD(U) and has had a couple of short-lived alliances with the RJD in recent times.
The 76-year-old leader said, "Don't talk nonsense. This government will run smoothly. Just look at how many of you have been left behind now."
He was apparently referring to the RJD's defeat in the last assembly elections, when it returned with only 25 seats in the 243-member House.
Kumar also reminded the opposition party, which was unseated from power by the NDA, led by him, in 2005, that "You people did nothing worthwhile during the period you were in power."
"Law and order had deteriorated to such an extent that people feared stepping out of their homes after 5 pm. So, you better not talk nonsense," the CM said.
Amid the heated exchange, some of the opposition MLAs entered the well, briefly plunging the House into chaos.
The agitated members were pacified after Parliamentary Affairs Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary rose to interject and said, "We will call representatives of various "chowkidar" associations for talks. Their demands will be considered, and appropriate action will be taken."