Tense Moment in Bihar Assembly: Minister Samrat Choudhary Expresses Regret After Heated Exchange with Speaker Vijay Sinha

Patna, Bihar: The authority of the Speaker in the Bihar Legislative Assembly is absolute within the House, responsible for maintaining order and discipline among members. On 17 March 2021, an unusual incident occurred when a heated exchange erupted between then Speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha (BJP) and Panchayati Raj Minister Samrat Choudhary (BJP), leaving the Assembly stunned.

The Incident

The proceedings of the Assembly began at 11 AM. Minister Choudhary rose to respond to starred questions from his department. Speaker Sinha pointed out that responses to the Assembly from the Panchayati Raj Department had not been fully submitted online, as per protocol. Choudhary replied that 14 out of 16 questions had been submitted and suggested that the Speaker check again, adding a comment that “work does not proceed in haste.”

This remark and tone angered Speaker Sinha, who asked Choudhary to withdraw his words immediately. The Minister initially refused, asserting that the Speaker could not conduct the House in that manner. In response, the Speaker adjourned proceedings until afternoon.

Resolution and Apology

When the House reconvened at noon, the Speaker temporarily remained in his chamber, and JDU member Narendra Narayan Yadav occupied the Speaker’s seat. After the lunch break, Speaker Sinha returned, and the Parliamentary Affairs Minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary requested Samrat Choudhary to express regret for the inadvertent disrespect towards the Chair. Once Choudhary apologized, normal proceedings resumed.

During the incident, opposition members stood in support of the Speaker. Leaders from CPIML (Mahboob Alam) and Congress (Shakeel Ahmad Khan) demanded that Samrat Choudhary be dismissed from the ministerial post for showing disrespect to the Chair.

Significance

This episode highlighted the supreme authority of the Speaker in the Bihar Assembly and the importance of maintaining decorum. Even senior ministers are expected to adhere to House protocol and respect the Speaker, emphasizing the procedural discipline of the legislative process.