Chaos erupted in the Jharkhand Assembly on Thursday, forcing Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahato to adjourn the House within 10 minutes of its 11 a.m. start, as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members protested the Jharkhand State Universities Bill, 2025, and other issues during the Question Hour. The uproar marks the latest in a series of disruptions during the supplementary monsoon session, which has been marred by heated exchanges between the ruling JMM-led coalition and the opposition.

The session began with Congress legislature party leader Pradeep Yadav demanding the Bharat Ratna for former Chief Minister Shibu Soren and the installation of statues of Bhimrao Ambedkar, Sido-Kahnu, and Dishom Guru Shibu Soren in the assembly complex. However, tensions escalated when BJP’s Hatia MLA Naveen Jaiswal accused the state government of politicizing education through the recently passed Jharkhand State Universities Bill, 2025.

The bill, approved on August 26, aims to remove the Governor’s role as chancellor in state university recruitments, a move Jaiswal labeled as an attempt to “seize the Governor’s power” and suppress student elections. “Students are agitating on the streets. This is an issue of their education and rights,” Jaiswal asserted.

Higher and Technical Education Minister Sudivya Kumar countered, dismissing the opposition’s claims as misleading. “Students’ democratic rights were not violated in the bill,” Kumar stated, accusing the BJP of spreading confusion. The bill, part of five key legislations passed via voice vote, seeks to streamline university governance, with Kumar citing similar reforms in Gujarat as precedent.

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Jaiswal also raised the contentious issue of Surya Hansda’s alleged encounter death, reiterating the BJP’s demand for a CBI probe, a recurring point of protest this session. Both BJP and ruling coalition MLAs stormed the Well of the House, raising slogans and paralyzing proceedings.

Speaker Mahato urged members to return to their seats, warning that continued disruptions would undermine the Question Hour’s significance. “If members persist, they should not submit questions in the future. The public will judge the importance of this Assembly,” Mahato said.

Despite appeals, the ruckus continued, leading to the adjournment until noon. The protests reflect ongoing tensions over tribal land issues, electoral revisions, and the 130th Constitutional Amendment Bill, which have dominated the session.

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