BJP legislators on Friday created ruckus in the Assembly over the a patient being raped at MGM Medical College and Hospital in Jamshedpur, the home constituency of state health minister Banna Gupta, and “police atrocity” against Baghmara MLA Dhullu Mahto.

The furore started around 11.50am, when Question Hour was in progress.

Just before that, the government had given positive assurances to CPI-ML legislator from Bagodar Vinod Singh regarding a policy for medical treatment of road accident victims, Poreyahat MLA Pradeep Yadav regarding repairing of ITI workshops across the state, and BJP Bokaro MLA Biranchi Narayan’s request for establishment of bio-medical waste treatment plants across the state.

Khunti BJP MLA Nilkanth Singh Munda triggered the ruckus after he realised that the House was not taking the Dhullu and rape issues seriously despite notices by Chandankyari MLA Amar Kumar Bauri, Bhawanathpur MLA Bhanu Pratap Shahi and Rajmahal legislator Anant Ojha.

“Government is not serious about the issues being raised in the House,” Munda said as his party colleagues supported him. “Even issues raised by Bhanu ji regarding rape at MGM and the atrocity against Dhullu Mahto have not been taken seriously.”

Dhullu is evading arrest.

Banna Gupta, the Jamshedpur West MLA, replied that an FIR had been registered over the rape and the city superintendent of police was investigating. “The matter (rape) is suspected,” Gupta added.

The word “suspected” added fuel to the fire and BJP MLAs tropped to the Well and started mounting pressure on Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahato to direct parliamentary affairs minister Alamgir Alam to give a proper reply in the matter within 24 hours. The Speaker Mahto urged them to return to their seats saying sometimes time is required for investigation, but the BJP legislators continued raising a ruckus.

Around noon, minister Alam assured proper and speedy action.

“The incident is unfortunate. We have taken cognisance of it. Investigation is going on. I assure that strong action will be taken against the culprit and the disposal of case will be done fast,” Alam said.

Only then the BJP legislators returned to their seats and Zero Hour started during which legislators raised issues of their constituencies.

When the House began in the second half at 2.07pm, grants of Rs 1,558 crore for the water resource department and Rs 3,089 crore for the drinking water and sanitation department were passed after debate on the cut motion brought by Vinod Singh.

Mandar MLA Bandhu Tirkey, supported by Vinod Singh, requested the Speaker to send a House delegation to express solidarity with the women on a Shaheen Bagh-inspired continuous sit-in at Kadru to protest against the new citizenship matrix.