Bengal Assembly on Thursday witnessed an absolute bedlam with the Trinamool Congress and BJP legislator nearly coming to blows — after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee mounted a no-holds-barred attack against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
In the melee BJP Chief Whip Shankar Ghosh sustained injuries and had to be hospitalised. As Opposition Leader Suvendu Adhikari said the “goonda MLAs of the Trinamool Congress had assaulted his party colleague the TMC denied allegations.
The ruckus started during the Chief Minister’s address whence she threw “vote chor” barbs at the BJP and attacked the Prime Minister for “selling the prestige of India before foreign powers” triggering an immediate reaction from the BJP which too hit back calling her a “stealer of teachers’ jobs.”
The Chief Minister was delivering her speech on the closing day of the Special Session summoned to pass a special resolution against the alleged attacks and harassment of Bengali migrant workers in the BJP ruled States.
Banerjee slammed Modi saying his Government had “sold India’s prestige before foreign powers,” by once “begging before China” and once “before the US” adding “they cannot run the country or secure the nation’s interests, yet they dare to lecture us.”
Referring to the alleged harassment of the Bengali migrant workers in the BJP ruled States she said “the BJP is trying to shut me down, they are not ready to discuss the issue as they want to hide the truth they are selectively attacking Bengali workers but the BJP is clearly anti-Bengali. Their attitude shows a colonial and dictatorial mindset. They want to turn Bengal into their colony.”
As a roar of protest rose from the Opposition benches, Banerjee started shouting in an attempt to make her voice heard. She said “BJP is a party of thieves they are vote thieves they are Gaddi chor (stealer of throne) party of dacoits.”
This even as the BJP shouted back in equal measure saying that TMC was a Government of the corrupt.
“They have stolen teachers’ jobs, they are a party of thieves there is no department which has been left untouched by their thieves,” said Shankar Ghosh.
As the pandemonium continued for more than an hour the leaders of both the parties descended on the Well of the House Banerjee quickly descended in the Well and drove her party men back in their seats.
Finally the Speaker had to call in the marshals to handle the situation.
Meanwhile, Speaker Biman Bandopadhyay suspended five BJP MLAs: Shankar Ghosh, Agnimitra Paul, Mihir Goswami, Ashok Dinda and Bankim Ghosh.
Even as the saffron MLAs walked out of the House Suvendu Adhikari slammed the Chief Minister for perpetrating a “goonda raj in the State. Earlier on Thursday they attacked the common people today they have not even spared the MLAs.”