Ranchi, July 28: Leader of the Opposition Hemant Soren today moved a "breach of privilege" notice against ADG (special branch) Anurag Gupta, seeking action against the police officer for making racial comments amid a raging controversy over an alleged sting operation to expose horse-trading in the recent Rajya Sabha elections.
"Recently the media has reported about certain audio and video clips related to the Rajya Sabha elections in Jharkhand that I too have gone through. The BJP has grossly misused its powers to win both the seats through horse-trading. The ADG (special branch) was working as a political agent of the BJP and chief minister Raghubar Das. He is heard persuading former Congress MLA Yogendra Sao to ask his MLA wife Nirmala Devi not to vote for the JMM candidate. During the conversation Gupta also made racist remarks against me," Hemant told newspersons on the Assembly premises, explaining why he submitted the notice against him at the office of Speaker Dinesh Oraon.
The audio and video recordings released in the form of a CD by disgraced former Congress MLA of Barkagaon Yogendra Sao, who was a minister in the last JMM- led coalition government in Jharkhand, but was dropped by then chief minister Hemant when allegations of Sao running extortion rings surfaced.
In the last Assembly elections, Sao's wife Nirmala won from Barkagaon on a Congress ticket.
Sao purportedly recorded conversations between him and a man he claimed was the ADG (special branch). In one such conversation, the man is heard persuading Sao to convince his wife Nirmala not to vote for the JMM (Opposition) candidate.
It is during one of these conversations, the man is heard using the word "adivasi" in the context of JMM being a tribal party.
Hemant refers to this conversation when he cites racial slur as the reason behind his breach of privilege notice, which he moved before the start of the session today.
The CD also contains a video clip of Sao with Raghubar Das, but the chief minister's voice is inaudible.
Interestingly, Sao chose not the Congress but the JVM to go public with the alleged sting on July 15, suggesting his stock was low in his party.
As per Sections 186 and 187 of the Jharkhand Assembly business rules, an MLA is free to move a notice of breach of privilege against a person if he feels that his legislative power, privilege and immunity has been breached by anybody. Under Section 189, if the Speaker accepts the notice, the issues can be discussed during the House session.
Later, the matter is referred to a privilege committee of the Assembly, which issues a notice to the concerned person seeking a reply. After that, the committee tables its report before the Assembly.
"If the allegation of breach of privilege is established, the Assembly can pronounce a punishment which could include a jail term, fine, censure and even termination from job. The notice is only the first stage of a lengthy legal process," said a deputy secretary rank official of the state Assembly.
Very little business was conducted in the first half of the day's Assembly session, which lasted barely 25 minutes with Opposition MLAs continuing with their protest against the government on various issues.
Opposition MLAs moved three adjournment motions, but these were rejected by the Speaker.
Before the session started, Opposition leaders held placards to decry the government's move to amend CNT and SPT acts and its inaction in the deaths of a minor boy of Bundu, Rupesh Swansi, in police custody and the death Dhanbad police officer Umesh Kacchap.
"We are raising a matter that concerns the public. Uncontrolled state police have run amok on people. BJP party president Tala Marandi is accused of getting his son married to a minor girl. His son had allegedly sexually exploited another girl. While she is running from pillar to post for justice, the state police and government are protecting culprits," Hemant alleged while talking to the media.
