Independent MLA Jyoti Rashmi speaks to journalists over not being formally invited to the inauguration of the dairy firm at Dehri-on-Sone on Thursday. (Above) Chief minister Nitish Kumar inaugurates the unit. Pictures by Sanjay Choudhary

Patna, April 25: Chief minister Nitish Kumar and his deputy Sushil Kumar Modi today had a bitter taste of women empowerment at the inaugural function of a dairy firm at Dehri-on-Sone to which Dehri MLA Jyoti Rashmi was not invited.

An Independent MLA, Jyoti, dashed to the dais and screamed: “This government talks of women’s empowerment but forgot to formally invite me to the function. It did not give me an opportunity to speak though I represent the Dehri constituency in the Assembly.”

In the absence of any woman constable, senior administrative officers and security personnel immediately brought her down from the dais. But Nitish, Modi and other ministers present at the function were visibly embarrassed by then.

“This is an official function in the area of which I am a representative. According to protocol, I should have been invited to it,” she shouted at the top of her voice from the dais.

Dehri sub-divisional officer (SDO) Mohammed Shaheed trashed the MLA’s allegation, though. “We had requested the madam (MLA) to attend the function over phone,” he claimed.

According to witnesses, the MLA rushed to the dais soon after the animal and fish resources minister, Giriraj Singh, finished his speech and Modi was invited to address the gathering. Hardly had Modi started speaking when the woman legislator interrupted him.

Pointing to the chief minister, the Independent MLA — known for her outbursts against the ruling alliance — said she had been ignored because she was a woman. “Had it not been the case, JD(U) leaders like Hulas Pandey (MLC), Jay Kumar Singh (Dinara MLA), Rajeshwar Raj (Karakat MLA) and Shyam Bihari Ram (Chenari MLA) would not have been provided seats (chairs) on the dais,” she told reporters at Dehri-on-Sone in Rohtas district, around 165km southwest from here.

To drive home her point, she said her name had not been inscribed on the foundation stone of the milk plant. Apart from the ministers, the names of the bureaucrats have been mentioned. But the name of the local legislator was missing, making the intentions of the government clear, she said.

Taking a dig at the NDA government led by Nitish, the first-time MLA said she raised the issue of providing adequate power (electricity) to the residents of her constituency in the Assembly. “But the chief minister tried to silence me even there,” she said.

She also criticised the state government for issuing licence to open liquor shops at every nook and corner of the state and making hollow promises to befool the electorate.

The Independent MLA has been at war with the state government ever since her husband and former MLA Pradeep Joshi was named an accused in an illegal mining case last year. She had to be marshalled out from the Assembly when she staged a dharna in the well of the House and used abusive language against Nitish and the speaker. In the budget session, she moved a cut motion and never failed to speak about rampant corruption.

Nitish, who reached the function about half-an-hour behind schedule, inaugurated the dairy plant and laid the foundation stone for a milk powder plant.

Addressing a motley crowd, Nitish said the state would be self-reliant in production of cheese after the inauguration of the new milk plant at Dehri. He said the performance of Bihar State Milk Co-operative Federation Limited had improved in the past seven years. This is evident from the fact that the state used to collect about 5 lakh litres of milk per day when he came to power. Now the collection of milk has increased to 18 lakh litres per day.

He hoped that the collection of milk in the state would double from the existing 18 lakh litres per day to 35 lakh litres per day in the next few years. “The agriculture roadmap, which was launched by President Pranab Mukherjee last year, would prove a milestone for the farmers of the state,” Nitish added.

Art culture and youth affairs minister Sukhada Pandey also spoke on the occasion.

Shashi Shekhar, the principal secretary of the animal and fish resources department, and Harjot Kaur, the managing director of Bihar State Milk Co-operative Federation Limited, were also present.