Ranchi, July 26: BJP today blamed the JMM and other Opposition parties for hijacking Assembly proceedings and not allowing discussions on matters of public interest, insisting that issues raised by them, especially the one concerning a CD in which a senior police officer, were allegedly heard insulting tribals, weren't serious enough to warrant such disruptions.

Senior BJP MLA Radhakrishna Kishore, accompanied by other leaders, addressed a news meet at an auditorium within Vidhan Sabha premises.

"First, they (JMM) did not allow the House to function on Monday on the CD issue which purportedly suggests that a senior police officer allegedly denigrated tribals while trying to convince Yogendra Sao that his wife, Congress MLA Nirmala Devi, should vote for BJP nominees during the Rajya Sabha polls," he said.

Noting that the JMM had gone to a thana to lodge an FIR against the police officer, Kishore pointed out that ST/SC Prevention of Atrocities Act suggested lodging a case only if a member of these communities was intimidated and humiliated at public places using caste slurs.

"I am not taking the side of police, but they can lodge an FIR in such sensitive matters involving a senior police officer only after a thorough probe. This was not at all such a big issue over which to disrupt the House," Kishore, who belongs to a Scheduled Caste, said.

Kishore went to explain that the term "adivasi", which was apparently used by the officer, was used in common parlance and used to name several hostels and other government institutions. "This is a political agenda on the part of Hemant, who does not want the House to run smoothly. They are afraid of the popularity of the Raghubar Das government that has done only good for people," he said, adding there was nothing in the CD which pointed to horse-trading.

Kishore questioned the timing of making the CD public when it was apparently prepared on June 10-11. "They released the CD on July 15 just before monsoon session. Why didn't they approach Election Commission on June 10 so that the poll could have been postponed?"

Kishore also dared the Opposition to identify the MLAs who voted for BJP nominees during the Rajya Sabha polls. "During Rajya Sabha polls, it is mandatory for an MLA to show his ballot paper to the respective polling agent. Why didn't the polling agents inform their political bosses if something went wrong? As a party, the BJP may have approached Opposition members for their vote for its candidate. There is nothing wrong in it."

He also asked the JVM to disclose when the CD was prepared and who prepared it. "Taping a conversation is also tantamount to violation of Article 21 of the Constitution which provides for Right to Privacy," he claimed.

Among the other BJP leaders who were with Kishore at the press conference were MLAs Radhakrishna Kishore, Shiv Shankar Oraon, Anant Kumar Ojha and senior NJP leader Prem Mittal.