Bihar assembly adjourned over lathicharge on Dalits

Patna, Aug 4 (IANS) Amid uproarious scenes, the Bihar assembly was on Thursday adjourned when the opposition sought a debate on the police lathicharge on Dalit students here.

After the assembly assembled, BJP members demanded that their adjournment motion be accepted. They also wanted a judicial probe into the incident in which nearly a dozen people were injured.

The opposition members disrupted the proceedings and trooped towards the Speaker. The three CPI-ML members also denounced the police action. In the melee, CPI-ML's Mahboob Alam fell unconscious.

Speaker Vijay Chaudhary repeatedly requested the members to go back to their seats and raise the issue after the question hour. He then adjourned the house till 2 p.m.

But the opposition was adamant and demanded that the adjournment motion moved by opposition leader Prem Kumar be taken up immediately. The members raised slogans, holding placards in their hands.

On Wednesday, police used lathis to disperse Dalit students here when they protested against atrocities against the community, a cut in the number of post-matric scholarships for SC/ST students and abolition of reservation in promotion in government jobs.