The governor leaves the house after reading the first and last lines of his speech.
The governor leaves the house after reading the first and last lines of his speech.
The West Bengal Assembly witnessed an unprecedented sight on Monday when Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislators raised slogans while addressing the House of Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar.
The standoff continued for over an hour as the Governor refused to begin his address amid the ruckus and tried to leave the House. BJP MLAs descended into the well of the House, holding posters and raising slogans alleging violence in the recently concluded civic polls.
During the uproar, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Speaker Biman Banerjee urged the governor to go ahead with the speech. When the Governor tried to leave the house without reading the speech, Trinamool Congress MLAs gathered against his seat and prevented him from leaving the house without reading the address. Women MLAs of TMC also prevented the Governor from exiting the House. An hour later, when the Governor read out the first and last lines of his speech and left the House, the deadlock was resolved.
A well-planned attempt to create a constitutional crisis: Mamata
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee called the development “unprecedented” and said it was a “planned attempt” to create a constitutional crisis. “Since the governor was leaving the house without reading the address and it would have created a constitutional crisis. Our boys and girls (MLAs) repeatedly requested him to read it. Then he (the governor) asked me to take everyone’s seat. Urged to persuade, which I did and he read out his speech,” Ms Banerjee said.
She thanked the Governor. Later in the day she also visited the Raj Bhavan and met Mr. Dhankhar. The Chief Minister said that what the BJP did in the assembly today is a matter of shame for democracy.
Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari said the BJP respected the Governor’s office but the address was written by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, which the BJP MLAs were opposing.
Speaking to reporters on the premises of the state assembly, Mr Adhikari said that the protests were against irregularities during the civic body elections. The Nandigram MLA claimed that on several occasions during the proceedings in the Assembly, when the Governor tried to leave the House, he was harassed by members of the Treasury Bench, including women MLAs.