Patna: Leader of the Opposition in Bihar Legislative Assembly Tejashwi Prasad Yadav on Thursday made a sudden appearance in the House after shunning public engagements for over a month, after the decimation of the RJD-led 'grand alliance' in the Lok Sabha elections.
Tejashwi Yadav made his maiden appearance in the ongoing monsoon session of the House on its fifth day. The session had begun on June 28.
The former chief minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha president Jitan Ram Manjhi had questioned his absence from the scene, leaving the grand alliance in the lurch, after the elections.
The senior RJD leader's disappearance from the public life amid the state battling deaths of more than 150 children due to acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) had drawn sharp criticism. Ruling BJP and JD(U) used the opportunity to attack Yadav calling him "ranchod" (one who runs away from the battlefield).
Responding on the word 'Ranchod', Tejashwi Yadav told the reporters that he was in Delhi for treatment of his leg injury.
He said he had suffered a minor fracture in one of his legs during the Lok Sabha elections campaign and had endured it without any treatment till the completion of polls.
He dismissed reports about quitting the post of leader of the opposition in the wake of the poll debacle.
"You (media persons) must be knowing it... why are you (media) wasting your time on rumours?" said Tejashwi Yadav, when asked about his resignation as the LoP.
Although, he refused to comment on Congress president Rahul Gandhi's resignation.
The RJD, Congress, RLSP, HAM and VIP parties are part of the mahagathbandhan' (grand alliance) in Bihar.
Except for one seat of Kisanganj won by the Congress, the grand alliance had drawn a blank in the state in the Lok Sabha elections, with the NDA bagging all remaining 39 seats.
Tejashwi Yadav's unavailability in the assembly had attracted caustic remarks from the NDA leaders.
While replying to the Budget debate last Tuesday, Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi had said it was for the first time in his 30 years of a parliamentary career that the leader of the opposition was not present during such an important proceeding of the House.
JD(U) chief whip in the assembly Ratnesh Sada too raised the issue on Wednesday, saying the LOP has been missing from the House.
Tejashwi did not take any questions from the media Thursday, saying he would speak on the occasion of RJD's foundation day function on Friday at the party's office in the state capital.
The RJD's national executive committee meeting is to be held on Saturday at a hotel here, said Tejashwi Yadav adding several resolutions would be passed by the party on different issues during the meeting.
Earlier, after the question hour, the assembly was adjourned till lunch break amid pandemonium by the RJD and Congress members, who wanted the House to suspend other businesses and take up a debate on the prevailing drought-like condition in the state.
Both parties had given notices for adjournment motion for a debate on drought, but Speaker Vijay Kumar Choudhary rejected the plea, saying rules did not permit him to allow it.
The Opposition members trooped into the Well of the House at this and created a ruckus, forcing the speaker to adjourn the House till 2 pm.
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