A securityman checks a legislator’s vehicle at the Assembly entrance on Thursday. Picture by Deepak Kumar

The district administration, alarmed by Wednesday’s serial blasts in Pune, threw a security blanket on the state legislature on the first day of the monsoon session on Thursday.

Heavily armed security personnel were deployed both within and outside the Assembly and none of the vehicles of the legislators was allowed to enter the House without intensive checking with mirror detectors and metal detectors. Assembly employees, too, could enter after frisking. Carriers on two-wheelers were first checked physically and then with detectors.

It generally takes a little over a minute for any legislator’s vehicle to reach the Assembly portico from the main gate. But on Thursday, it took 15 to 20 minutes.

The intensive rounds of checking led to long queue of vehicles at the entrance gate and left legislators fuming. Some even raised questions on the checking. RJD MLA from Barhara Raghvendra Pratap Singh said: “The intensive security check inside and outside the Assembly implies that there is a serious law and order problem in the state. It must be so serious that even legislators have to go through the security check. This only raises serious questions on the government’s ways of functioning.”

Journalists also had to undergo strict security checks before entering the galleries assigned to them for news coverage. They had a tough time entering the corridor from where Assembly proceedings are seen and heard.

After being frisked at the entrance, the reporters had to display their identity cards at four places. Usually, the scribes enter the corridor after flashing their identity cards once.

A senior police officer, deployed on the Assembly premises, said the additional security measures were taken after the Pune blasts. “We cannot take any chance with the security at the Assembly. Even legislators’ bodyguards are not allowed to enter the premises with their arms. They are standing outside,” said the officer.

District magistrate Sanjay Kumar Singh, director-general of police Abhayanand and Patna senior superintendent of police Amrit Raj were also present on the premises to inspect the security measures.

After two years, a smiling Rabri Devi made her second journey to the Legislative Council. Well-wishers and supporters welcomed her at the Council portico with bouquets. She did not miss the opportunity to attack the present government.

“Under Nitish Kumar’s leadership, there is no susashan (good governance) in the state. It is kusashan (bad governance). His government is paralysed now and people are facing number of problems,” said the former chief minister.