Bengal Assembly verbal spat: Speaker issues warning in response to BJP Leader's threat of arrest
Speaker Gives Caution After Concern About BJP Leader's Potential Arrest In Bengal Assembly
As BJP Leader in the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari stated on
Friday that a minister will be imprisoned within a month, Speaker Biman
Banerjee issued a warning against making such claims in the House.
Speaker issues warning in response to BJP Leader's Threat to Arrest in Bengal Assembly
On Friday, the Trinamool Congress (TMC)
and Minister Suvendu Adhikari of the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
got into a heated altercation in front of the West Bengal Legislature. The
event happened as the financial requests for the state's panchayat department
were being discussed.
The debate was started by Adhikari's declaration that a
minister will be imprisoned within a month. The minister inquired about
Adhikari's father's current political allegiance, which prompted the LoP to
respond sharply by suggesting that Bhowmik be imprisoned. The father of the
LoP, Sisir Adhikari, won the Lok Sabha election in Kanthi on the TMC platform.
According to the TMC, who claims he has joined the BJP, his membership in the
Lok Sabha should be revoked in accordance with the Anti-Defection Act.
After Adhikari's remarks, Bhowmik raised concerns about
his security, which heightened the conversation. Bhowmik requested the
Speaker's intervention and stated that he is concerned for his safety as a
result of the BJP leader's remarks.
Speaker Biman Banerjee advised against making such remarks
inside the House. He characterized Adhikari's remark as an offensive one
directed against a member of the ruling party. The House would investigate
Bhowmik's concerns about his safety, the Speaker further reassured him.
Banerjee advised Bhowmik to think about submitting a notice of intent to bring
a privileged move against the BJP leader.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement
Directorate (ED) have detained a number of TMC officials in connection with the
alleged school employment scam and livestock smuggling cases. In addition, a
number of BJP legislators have switched to the TMC since 2021 without resigning
from the legislature. The saffron party has urged that the Anti-Defection Act
be used to invalidate the BJP members who have defected to the TMC.
The episode has garnered attention, especially in light of
the ongoing political conflict in the state between the BJP and TMC. In the
assembly elections conducted in April–May 2021, the TMC triumphed handily,
taking 213 of the 292 seats up for grabs. The BJP, on the other hand, won 77
seats and took over as the state's primary opposition group.
The event serves as a reminder of the importance of
upholding decorum inside the House. The Speaker's admonition to refrain from
making such remarks inside the House emphasizes how crucial it is to uphold
decorum in the state's legislative assembly. The event reminds MPs that they must
follow the rules and act properly inside the House.
The conversation between the LoP and the minister has once
again brought attention to the political hostility in West Bengal between the
BJP and TMC. It is essential that MPs follow the House's rules and protocol and
act properly. The Speaker's advice is a welcome reminder for parliamentarians
to take this action. The House will now investigate the minister's concerns
regarding his security.
