Bihar: Uproar in assembly over CM Nitish Kumar's national anthem row

A day after Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar’s unusual behaviour during the national anthem at a sports event as seen in a purported video which went viral, the opposition led by Tejashwi Yadav and his mother Rabri Devi created a massive uproar in the Bihar assembly and legislative council on Friday.

As soon as assembly proceedings began, opposition members started protesting and raised slogans like 'rashtra gaan ka apmaan, nahi sahega Hindustan (India will not tolerate the insult to its national anthem)'.

Tejashwi Yadav demanded the CM’s resignation, alleging that he disrespected the national anthem during the Sepak Takraw World Cup inauguration in Patna. He described the CM as talking, laughing, and folding hands in the middle of the national anthem while conversing with principal secretary Deepak Kumar, who is seen trying to get the CM to refocus.

Opposition members staged protests inside and outside the assembly, making it a major issue. Tejashwi Yadav sought time to speak on the issue, but the speaker denied his request, leading to further chaos in the House. Question hour continued amid constant sloganeering by the opposition leaders. “We personally respect the chief minister but when someone insults the national anthem, India will not tolerate it at any cost,” Yadav said.

Responding to the opposition allegations, Parliamentary affairs minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary dismissed the allegations. “The people of Bihar know how much respect the chief minister has for the national anthem and national traditions. There is no need for anyone to question it forcefully,” Chaudhary said.

The opposition is expected to continue its protests, while the government is standing firm in defence of Nitish Kumar. The issue may further escalate politically, with calls for a formal explanation from the chief minister. Speculation about Nitish Kumar's mental health has been doing the rounds for a while, with several observers publicly stating that he is probably suffering early onset dementia or a similar disorder. But no official information has been forthcoming.

Sepak Takraw is an event where players play with a ball without touching their hands. The game is played with the head, chest and legs. The meaning of Sepak is a ball and is very popular in Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand and other countries. Now, it is gaining popularity in India too. A total of 20 countries are participating in this event, which is underway in the Patliputra sports complex located at the Kankarbagh locality of Patna.

With IANS inputs