Bengal Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari on Monday alleged that State Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar was “physically assaulted” inside the State Assembly by two Ministers and a group of Trinamool Congress legislators at the instance of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
The Chief Minister however immediately denied the charges saying it were the BJP legislators — and the not their TMC counterparts — who blockaded the Governor and raised continuous slogan inside the House so as to stop from reading out his speech.
The Governor who was to deliver the inaugural speech of the Budget session the House left the House in a huff after reading only the concluding part of his speech
“Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar was physically assaulted and humiliated by TMC MLAs and two women ministers Chandrima Bhattacharya and Dr Shashi Panja ... all this was orchestrated at the instance of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee … I do not know whether the Governor would conceded this outside but what happened inside the House everybody saw it very carefully... we'll meet Governor,” Adhikari said moments before the BJP MLAs led by him marched to the Raj Bhavan to register their protest.
“What happened in the House today had never happened before … the TMC goons who looted votes during the elections did not even spare the Governor and assaulted him inside the House … he tried to leave the Assembly five times but was prevented from doing so,” Adhikari said adding Bengal was the perfect case for Article 356 (President’s Rule).
“I think Bengal is the perfect case for Article 356 … the Governor is the sole authority to take a decision on this and recommend whatever he thinks to the Centre … We will meet him and present our views … He should take appropriate action against it,” the former Bengal Minister who left the TMC to join the BJP just before the last year’s Assembly elections said.
Saying that the situation in Bengal was quite grim as “no democratic institution is being allowed to function … everywhere the Opposition voice is being suppressed … from North Bengal to South Bengal,” he said dropping faint hints of what his party might try to retain its support base in the northern parts of the State.
He attacked the State Government saying “nothing was stated in the Budget speech about the present circumstances … no mention was made of the electoral malpractices, criminalisation and oppression of the opposition,” adding “If this continues then in the coming days the general disgruntlement may give rise to divisive and separatist forces … then some people may make demand for separate states or things like that.”
Things started after the BJP MLAs started raising slogans in the House against the alleged rigging in the recently concluded civic elections in 108 boards in which the TMC won almost 90 percent of seats. After some time the TMC legislators responded by giving matching slogans. As the Governor tried to stop both the sides but failed he read out the initial and closing lines of his speech and left at the request of the Chief Minister.
The Chief Minister soon hit back saying “those who cannot even win elections in their wards are today talking big … they are trying to create disturbance in functioning of the Government … the TMC MLAs did nothing … it was the BJP MLAs who raised slogans and stalled the proceedings … they thought that the Budget Session could be spoilt by stopping the Governor from giving his speech … but these people do not know that the Budget is introduced only after the Governor gives his assent… whatever happened today was unprecedented and unfortunate.” Later the Chief Minister met the Governor personally at Raj Bhavan.