On International Women’s Day, women legislators were on Tuesday allowed to raise questions and discuss problems in their constituencies during the Zero Hour in the Bihar Assembly following an intervention by the Chief Minister. Soon after the end of the Zero Hour, ruling BJP MLA Usha Vidyarthy
wanted to know about the fate of her request to the Assembly secretariat, seeking permission to raise a question demanding a statement from the government on the alleged misbehaviour with journalists at Bihta, on the outskirts of the state capital recently.
When the Speaker refused to entertain her request, Vidyarthy said while the entire nation was celebrating Women’s Day, “we are being ignored here”.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who was present in the House, soon intervened and requested the chair to allow the women legislators to have their say and raise the matter.
The Speaker then relaxed the rules and allowed the BJP MLA to raise her question during the Zero Hour.
Then one by one, four more women legislators Poonam Devi, Asha Devi, Muni Devi and Usha Sinha raised questions about some problems in their respective constituencies.
After allowing the women legislators to raise the issues, the Speaker said he had respected the sentiments of the members but “such requests won’t be entertained in future”.