Disruption in Bengal Assembly: One BJP MLA Suspended, Two Others Ejected

Synopsis

On March 10, a chaotic scene erupted in the West Bengal Assembly as BJP lawmakers protested after a fellow MLA's microphone was cut off mid-speech during budget discussions. This led to the suspension of one MLA and the ejection of two others by the Speaker, igniting a walkout and further protests outside the Assembly.

Key Takeaways

Protests erupted in the West Bengal Assembly during budget discussions.
One BJP MLA was suspended for the day due to protests.
Two other BJP legislators were expelled from the assembly.
The Speaker intervened during a debate on budgetary allocations.
The Leader of the Opposition criticized the government’s actions.

Kolkata, March 10 (NationPress) A significant disruption unfolded in the West Bengal Assembly on the inaugural day of the budget session on Monday as BJP members initiated protests after the microphone of a fellow BJP MLA was abruptly disconnected during his speech regarding the budget allocations.

During the protests by BJP members on the assembly floor, Dipak Barman, a representative from the Falataka Assembly constituency in Alipurduar district, was suspended for the day.

As the dissent continued, Speaker Biman Bandopadhyay summoned the Assembly Marshal and expelled two additional BJP MLAs, Shankar Ghosh from Siliguri and Manoj Kumar Oraon from Kumargram, out of the assembly.

Following this, the BJP members executed a walkout and proceeded to protest in the Assembly lawn, chanting slogans.

The turmoil began when Hiran Chatterjee, the BJP legislator from Kharagpur (Sadar) in West Midnapore district and a former actor, was discussing the budgetary allocations for various state departments.

While addressing the assembly, Chatterjee posed inquiries regarding the state government's advertising policies. The Speaker interrupted him, stating that such matters were not appropriate for discussion in the assembly.

Chatterjee countered, asserting that the Speaker lacked the authority to dictate his topics of speech. He also accused the government of appointing influential individuals to public service commissions, thereby depriving the public of essential services.

The Speaker repeated his request for Chatterjee to refrain from making such remarks. In response, Chatterjee maintained that the Speaker had no right to impose such restrictions on him.

Subsequently, his microphone was turned off, which BJP legislators claimed occurred before his allotted time had fully elapsed, prompting their protests.

Later, Suvendu Adhikari, the Leader of the Opposition, who is currently serving a one-month suspension, arrived at the Assembly and informed reporters that Chatterjee's microphone was disconnected due to him exposing truths regarding the state's government operations.

“It is true that the state government has received various so-called international awards for its developmental schemes through monetary means. Hiran was disclosing these facts in the assembly, which is why he was silenced,” the Opposition Leader stated.