The Government-versus-Opposition conflict reached new heights on Wednesday with two BJP MLAs being suspended for the rest of the Budget session for their alleged unruly conduct inside the House on Monday.
Sudip Mukhopadhyay and Mihir Goswami were suspended from attending the rest of the Budget session, sources said adding the motion — seeking the suspension of the BJP MLAs — was brought by ParliamentaryAffairs Minister Partha Chatterjee and was put to vote by Speaker Biman Banerjee. The motion was passed by a voice vote.
State Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday had to abandon his inaugural speech Budget for the Budget Session reading only initial and concluding lines even as legislators from both Opposition and Treasury benches engaged each other in slogan shouting.
While Opposition Leader attacked the TMC Government for victimising the BJP legislators, Trinamool Congress spokesperson Kunal Ghosh hit back saying the BJP should remember the way they had suspended the TMC MPs in Parliament.
Speaking on the Monday’s ruckus in the House Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday attacked the BJP for not only disturbing the constitutional procedures inside Bengal but the Assembly but also destroying federal structure of the country.
“Here is an indecent party that has been trying to destroy all the democratic institutions of the country … they are using central agencies to finish our federal structure,” Banerjee said adding the people of the country would soon throw that party out of power.
“Abki baar pagar paar (out of the ring in Bengali)” the Chief Minister said about the BJP’s prospects in the coming days. She had on Monday attacked the saffron outfit calling it a party of rioters and corrupt people.
“BJP is the 'dangabaaz' (rioter) and corrupt party...they want to destroy democracy...thanks to women MLAs of TMC for saving democracy in Vidhan Sabha yesterday,” Banerjee on Tuesday said in reference to the Monday’s ruckus inside the House that led Opposition Leader Suvendu Adhikari to allege that two women ministers had physically assaulted the Governor inside the House. The two ministers later brought a privilege motion against the Opposition Leader.
In a related development Bengal Assembly Speaker Biman Banerjee has politely turned down the request of the Governor who had asked him to meet him within three days for a discussion on the Monday’s unruly scenes inside Assembly. The Speaker reportedly told the Governor that he would be busy with the Session of the House and hence would not be able to visit Raj Bhavan.
Meanwhile, leaders of Bengal BJP on Wednesday said that they would descend on the streets after the party’s expected victories in the Assembly elections the results for which would be declared on Thursday.
“We will take inspiration from the victory in Uttar Pradesh, Goa and other States and will launch fresh movements in Bengal from the next week,” State BJP spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said adding, a positive result in the exit polls had already rejuvenated the party rank and file.