Patna: A lawmaker was on Monday prevented from entering the Bihar state assembly after he reached the House wearing a vest and shorts.
Vinay Bihari from the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been on a bizarre protest — stripping himself partly — for the past one month to get a particular road constructed under his constituency.
Witnesses said marshals at the assembly gate objected to his new dress code and stopped him from moving inside when the lawmaker reached the House in a state of undress with a bag hanging from his shoulder.
“No, you can’t attend the session in this dress,” Bihari quoted an official as having told him. Angry at the denial of entry to him, the lawmaker later sat in silent protest outside the state assembly.
The lawmaker who represents Lauria seat (under West Champaran district) in Bihar assembly has discarded his usual Kurta-pyjama (a dress normally worn by Indian politicians) and taken to vest and shorts to protest the government’s failure to construct a 44-km-long road in his constituency.
A miffed Bihari, a singer-turned-politician, has sent his kurta (a loose shirt) to the federal surface transport minister Nitin Gadkari and ‘pyjama’ (trouser) to Bihar deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav who holds the road construction department portfolio.
He said he would follow this dress code until the road is constructed. He is even attending official functions wearing these clothes, much to officials’ embarrassment. He has discarded his clothes since October 26.
Bihari revealed he staged many sit-ins and resorted to various forms of protest but nothing worked, forcing him to go half-naked. “If I succeed in my endeavour, it will confirm that Gandhi and his philosophy are still relevant in India,” Bihari has said. He has announced to take back his clothes only after his demand is met.
He also hit out at Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for reneging from his promise he made three years back. According to him, Kumar during a function held on November 26, 2013, had told a crowd of around 150,000 who had gathered to hear him, to complete this road but failed to fulfil his promise. “Perhaps, my striping down will shame the CM and compel him to remind his promise,” remarked Bihari.
