Ranchi — The Budget Session of the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly witnessed chaotic scenes on Wednesday after opposition MLAs from the Bharatiya Janata Party protested against the alleged ban on DJ music during Ram Navami processions.
Soon after the House assembled, BJP legislators began raising slogans, accusing the state government of interfering with religious traditions. Their protest disrupted proceedings repeatedly as members demanded the government clarify its stand on the restrictions.
Initiating the debate, BJP MLA Navin Jaiswal said curbs on DJ music during a major Hindu festival were discriminatory and reflected an attempt to interfere with long-standing traditions. His remarks triggered strong objections from members of the ruling alliance, leading to a heated exchange in the House.
As tensions escalated, BJP members moved into the well of the Assembly and continued sloganeering against the government, forcing repeated interruptions in the proceedings.
Responding to the allegations, Congress Legislature Party leader Pradeep Yadav accused certain groups of trying to politicise religious matters and spread hatred. He maintained that administrative regulations were applicable to all communities and should not be portrayed as targeting any particular group.
Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahato expressed displeasure over the disruptions and urged legislators to maintain decorum. He pointed out that the House had been functioning smoothly until the issue was raised and said such disturbances were preventing meaningful discussion on important public matters.
Outside the Assembly, BJP MLA Pradip Prasad also staged a protest over the issue. Referring to Hazaribagh’s well-known Sri Chaitra Ram Navami celebrations, he demanded that the event be granted the status of a state festival.
Prasad asserted that the festival in Hazaribagh is celebrated with great enthusiasm and warned that DJs would continue to be played during the processions regardless of the administration’s decision. He also alleged that the authorities were deliberately creating hurdles in organising the celebrations.
With inputs from IANS