Summary:
Ranchi, Sep 5 (PTI) BJP workers on Sunday burned the effigies of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren and Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahto during protests across the state against the decision to allow a "Namaz Hall" in the Assembly.
The speaker has allotted room number TW 348 for offering Namaz, triggering demand from the BJP to build a Hanuman temple and places of worship of other religions on the Assembly premises.
"The BJP will gherao the Assembly and hold demonstrations in every district to protest the move.
The House is the temple of democracy and the Hemant Soren government has insulted it by playing appeasement politics," BJP state chief and Rajya Sabha MP Deepak Prakash said.
"The state government must immediately revoke this unconstitutional and undemocratic decision or else people will hit the streets," BJP state general secretary Aditya Sahu said.
A notification dated September 2 and signed by Jharkhand Legislative Assembly Deputy Secretary Naveen Kumar by order of the speaker, which came to the public domain on September 4 said, "Allotment of room number TW 348 as Namaz Hall for offering Namaz in the new Assembly Building." As soon as the notification came to the fore, the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and Congress welcomed it.