JD(U) attacks Rajya Sabha deputy chairman for attending Parliament inauguration

Bihar’s ruling Janata Dal (United) or JD(U) leaders have hit out at Rajya Sabha deputy chairman Harivansh for attending the inauguration ceremony of the new Parliament building on Sunday and accused him of working for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

JD(U) leader Lalan Singh on Tuesday said Harivansh has forgotten the JD(U) and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar sent him to the Rajya Sabha. “It was again Nitish and not the BJP, who called every floor leader and leaders of parties to ensure he is elected as the deputy chairman,” Singh said.

He added it was for Harivansh to explain. “It looks like he has thrown his conscience into a dustbin and moved on. The entire opposition for concrete reasons took a collective decision not to be part of this exercise for self-aggrandisation and an attempt to rewrite history.”

JD(U) was among the parties that boycotted the inauguration, saying President Droupadi Murmu and not Prime Minister Narendra Modi should have presided over the ceremony for it.

Harivansh read out messages from the President and the vice president at the ceremony.

Singh said Harivansh has been working for the ruling party at the Centre since August 2022 when the JD(U) parted ways with the BJP and formed the government in Bihar in alliance with Rashtriya Janata Dal and Congress.

Harivansh was elected as the deputy chairman in August 2018 as a candidate of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance. Harivansh’s second term as a Rajya Sabha member is due to end in 2026.

JD(U) spokesperson Neeraj Kumar called Harivansh a misguided person. “He seems to have sold his morality to the BJP,” said Kumar. “It is up to top JD(U) leadership to decide the future course of action against him.”

A third JD(U) leader said that the party cannot take any action even if it wants to given the nature of Harivansh’s post. “One thing is certain that he will not get another term,” said the leader, who did not want to be named.