Why Was the Bengal LoP Suspended from the Assembly for a Day for Supporting the Indian Army?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Suvendu Adhikari was suspended for supporting the Indian Army.
- The incident occurred during a special session of the Assembly.
- Bratya Basu's remarks sparked outrage among BJP legislators.
- The Army claimed the protest stage was dismantled due to expired permission.
- The Speaker had to intervene as tensions escalated in the Assembly.
Kolkata, Sep 2 (NationPress) The Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the West Bengal Assembly and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) figure, Suvendu Adhikari, faced a suspension from the Assembly on the second day of the special session after he vocally supported the Indian Army. This incident occurred against the backdrop of a controversy where Army personnel allegedly dismantled a Trinamool Congress protest stage in Kolkata's Maidan area, which is under the jurisdiction of the Army's Eastern Command.
The Army's stance was that the protest stage set up by the Trinamool Congress had been unauthorized, as the permission granted by the Eastern Command had expired after two days.
During the Assembly session, State Education Minister Bratya Basu addressed the issue and made remarks that provoked the BJP legislators. He compared the dismantling of the protest stage to a historical incident involving the Pakistani Army in Dhaka on March 25, 1971, alleging that it was politically motivated.
This remark led to an uproar from the BJP members, including the LoP, who began shouting slogans, asserting that Basu had disrespected the Indian Army.
The Speaker of the House, Biman Bandopadhyay, attempted to restore order, but tensions escalated, resulting in the suspension of the Leader of the Opposition for the day.
At one point, the Speaker even had to call the Marshal of the House to remove the protesting BJP members, including LoP Adhikari. However, before any force was used, the BJP legislators, led by Adhikari, chose to walk out of the Assembly.
After the incident, LoP Adhikari expressed, “I have been suspended again. I had to be suspended for speaking on behalf of the Indian Army. I feel proud of the Indian Army. No one could stop us (BJP) from raising our voice in support of the Indian Army.”