Patna: The Bihar Assembly today (Dec 17, 2003) began a debate on the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) sponsored no-confidence motion against the nearly six-and-a-half-year old Rabri Devi Government.

The one-line motion moved by leader of the Opposition Sushil Kumar Modi said the House expresses its lack of confidence in the Government for not doing what it should do and doing what it should not.

Initiating the debate, Modi charged that the sorry state of affairs was exemplified by the unprecedented step of the Chief Secretary, the top-most official of the Government, being sent to judicial custody for contempt of court and later enlarged on bail and the Chief Justice ticking off the Chief Minister for trying to interfere in the judicial process.

Modi also highlighted Government's failure in improving the law and order situation in the State and providing basic facilities like health, education, safe drinking water, road and electricity to the people.

A division Bench of the Patna High Court comprising Chief Justice R S Dhavan and Justice S K Singh had yesterday taken serious exception to Chief Minister Rabri Devi and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Laloo Prasad Yadav calling up Chief Justice to register their protest over the arrest of the Chief Secretary.

PTI