Patna: Protesting against the government is nothing new for the RJD, but for the first time former chief minister Rabri Devi sat on a dharna in the portico of the Bihar Legislative Council.

Rabri, who is also the leader of the RJD legislature party, sat on a dharna for one-and-a-half hours along with other RJD MLCs, namely S.M. Qamar Alam, Dilip Rai, Radha Charan Seth, Sanjay Prasad and Subodh Rai.

It all started when RJD MLC Sanjay Prasad moved an adjournment motion seeking a debate on the deteriorating law and order condition in the state. But legislative Council deputy chairman Haroon Rashid turned down the plea.

After that, RJD MLCs jumped into the well of the House. When Rashid asked them to move out from the floor, Rabri, too, went out with RJD MLCs and sat on the stairs of the Council portico, shouting slogans against chief minister Nitish Kumar.

The RJD MLCs, including Rabri, raised slogans like "Bihar mein bahar hai, dangaiwo ki sarkar hai" and "Bihar mein bahar hai, hatyarro ki sarakar hai".

Rabri accused the Council deputy chairman of running House proceedings on the government's instruction. She said the chairman is supposed to be impartial and not belong to any political party but the way he was acting proves he only listens to the ruling party.

Rabri was also holding a placard demanding sacking of Union minister Giriraj Singh and Ashwini Choubey for their allegedly provocative speeches. She demanded that Nitsh take action against both leaders. "Why can't Nitish take action against the two Union ministers who have openly challenged him," Rabri asked. "The state government and the Centre have given them a free hand to incite riots. All BJP leaders are getting protection from Nitish who has become a mute spectator."

Rabri and the RJD MLCs shouted slogans against the Nitish government, demanding sacking of Singh and Choubey. They had blocked the entrance, because of which other lawmakers could not emerge from the Council. JDU MLC Sanjay Singh tried to wriggle out but failed.

Former minister and JDU leader Ashok Choudhary, Neeraj Kumar and BJP MLC Sanjay Mayukh were asked to take a different route when they tried to exit. Rabri looked at Ashok Choudhary and asked him to take a different route. Even education minister Krishna Nandan Prasad Verma was not allowed to go out.

Later, JDU MLC Dilip Choudhary, Reena Yadav and CPI Kedar Nath Pandey met Rabri and requested her to end the dharna, which she did around 2pm.