Patna: The state assembly on Friday passed the budgetary demands of 52 departments related to the Rs 3.17 lakh crore 2025-26 state budget amid a heated protest by opposition members over CM Nitish Kumar‘s alleged mishandling of the national anthem at a sports event the previous day. The House convened for only 22 minutes in the post-lunch session without any debate and was adjourned once before concluding for the day. The uproar was a continuation of the morning session’s disruptions. As soon as the House met for the post-lunch session, Speaker Nand Kishore Yadav adjourned it within eight minutes, setting a new meeting time for 3.30pm to discuss the budgetary demand of the rural works department. However, when the House reconvened at 3.30pm, opposition members from the RJD, Congress, CPI(ML), CPI and CPM stormed the well again, demanding an apology from the CM. With no resolution in sight, RWD minister Ashok Kumar Choudhary was asked to present the govt’s response. However, as disruptions continued, the Speaker hastily moved through the formalities and passed all 52 budgetary demands and the overall state budget of Rs 3.17 lakh crore through a voice vote. Later, speaking to the reporters, parliamentary affairs minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary dismissed the opposition’s protest as a politically motivated move. “The opposition has no real issues. Hence, they are making a controversy out of nothing. With elections approaching, they are frustrated by the CM’s development initiatives and his Pragati Yatra,” he said. Choudhary accused the opposition of trying to divert attention from their declining political influence. “They are desperately clutching at straws. The progress made under Nitish over the past 19 years has transformed Bihar and his Pragati Yatra, where he introduced new development plans in every district, has left them shaken,” Choudhary said.
