Chief minister Nitish Kumar presents a bouquet to Speaker Uday Narayan Choudhary on the first day of the monsoon session. Picture by Nagendra Kumar Singh n See Page 6

Patna, July 15: Traditions of the Bihar Assembly broke down on the first day of the monsoon session when NDA legislators spoke out against the governor for withholding and returning bills without approval.

The MLAs were backed by the treasury bench with minister of parliamentary affairs Vijendra Prasad Yadav saying there was a need for a debate on the issue. “The government wants to impart quality education in higher educational institutes and select the right VCs,” Yadav said.

The matter was raised immediately after Speaker Uday Narayan Choudhary made his opening speech. Amarendra Pratap Singh of the BJP, backed by other NDA members, expressed concern over Governor Devanand Konwar returning legislation passed by both Houses on the pretext that they were money bills.

Even as the Speaker said he would consider the views of the MLAs, the Opposition began to demand a special debate on the Forbesganj police firing. Leader of the Opposition Abdul Bari Siddiqui pointed out that the ruling NDA members were violating the tradition of the first day of the House, when only obituary references are taken up.

“This is the first time I have seen a treasury bench-sponsored show on the first day of the House. These issues are expected to be discussed in the business advisory committee of the House,” said Siddiqui, an RJD member.

The governor has withheld consent on several legislation, including the Bihar Administrative Tribunal Bill, 2011, and Patna University (Amendment) Bill.

Raj Bhavan maintains that the legislation are all money bills for which the governor’s nod is needed before they can be placed in the legislative Houses. The Speaker had in the previous session overruled the objections, saying that he (the Speaker) was the final authority to decide the nature of the bill.

Chief minister Nitish Kumar refused to comment. “I do not take cognizance of this articulation,” he said when asked for his response to the “stand-off”. He, however, said there was no doubt that the Speaker was the sole authority to decide on a bill’s nature.

HRD minister P.K. Shahi was more articulate. “If the governor feels the Speaker’s ruling is a violation of the Constitution, why has he not written back to the Speaker’s office?” he asked.

Session cut: The House, in session till Thursday, will now actually transact business for three days, with the government declaring Monday as a holiday for Shab-e-Baraat.