Patna, Feb 20 (NationPress) The 14th day of the Budget Session of the Bihar Legislative Assembly saw significant disruption on Friday when comments by CPI(ML) MLA Sandeep Saurabh incited strong reactions from members of the ruling party, resulting in sloganeering and heated exchanges within the House.

During an adjournment motion, the Paliganj MLA addressed issues of caste-based discrimination prevalent in higher educational institutions.

He asserted that discrimination persists in universities and colleges, urging for the stringent application of the new UGC regulations in Bihar.

While speaking, Saurabh alleged that individuals with a Brahmin mindset were resisting the enforcement of the University Grants Commission (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, which are currently on hold due to a Supreme Court ruling.

Referring to statistics, the CPI(ML) member expressed that incidents of caste-based discrimination and harassment in higher education had escalated by 118 percent from 2014 to 2019.

He questioned the ongoing tragedies faced by students like Rohith Vemula and cited other cases such as Payal Tadvi and Darshan Solanki, highlighting them as stark examples of caste-based harassment in educational settings.

Moreover, Saurabh indicated that despite the UGC announcing equity and activity guidelines in January 2026 to combat caste-based harassment, their enforcement was halted by the Supreme Court following protests.

He contended that while these regulations remain suspended, states like Karnataka and Telangana have initiated actions similar to the Rohith Vemula Act to tackle caste discrimination in higher education.

He called upon the Bihar government to enact the UGC guidelines at the state level and urged the Central government to introduce an ordinance in Parliament.

The remarks sparked immediate backlash from ruling party MLAs, who objected to the term “Brahminism”.

Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha remarked that the language used was inappropriate and contrary to constitutional values.

“Every death is a loss for the nation and the state. I have respect for every community. Spreading animosity within society weakens the country,” Sinha stated.

He shared his personal experiences, mentioning that he had also faced ragging during his schooling, claiming that such comments undermine B.R. Ambedkar's vision.

In response to Sinha's comments, RJD MLA Alok Mehta accused the ruling party of defensiveness, whereas BJP MLA Mithilesh Tiwari contended that the Opposition misinterprets Brahminism and carries biases against it.

The situation further escalated as CPI(ML) MLA Sandeep Saurabh and BJP MLA Murari Mohan Thakur exchanged heated words, pointing fingers at each other within the Assembly.

As the uproar grew, Speaker Prem Kumar intervened, ordering the contentious term to be expunged from the Assembly records, temporarily restoring order to the proceedings.