Trinamool introduces motion against BJP for creating disturbances in Bengal Assembly

KOLKATA: A motion introduced by the TMC legislative party on Thursday against the opposition BJP for the "disturbances" caused in the House on March 7 was passed by a voice vote.

The motion was moved under Rule 185 by state parliamentary affairs minister Partha Chatterjee in the second half of the day.

The BJP MLAs, however, boycotted the proceedings as they staged a sit-in outside, demanding revocation of the suspension order against two-party MLAs.

On Wednesday, two BJP lawmakers, Sudip Mukhopadhyay and Mihir Goswami, were suspended from the state Budget session for creating a ruckus in the House during Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar's speech on Monday.

High drama was witnessed on the first day of the West Bengal assembly's budget session with Dhankhar being forced to cut short his inaugural speech and table the address as BJP MLAs staged a noisy protest in the House over alleged violence in recently concluded civic elections.

The women MLAs of the TMC had pleaded with Dhankhar to deliver his speech.

The parliamentary affairs minister, while speaking on the motion, said, "We too have been in opposition during the Left Front rule. such disturbances are uncalled for. They (BJP legislators) never take part in discussions. And whenever the chief minister is in the House, they create a ruckus."

"We would like to thank our women MLAs who saved the honour of the House that day. The kind of disturbance and unruly behaviour that we witnessed on March 7 is unprecedented and has hurt the dignity of the House. We have brought this motion to condemn it," he said.

Later, talking to reporters, BJP chief whip Manoj Tigga slammed the TMC for the "undemocratic process" adopted by it to suspend two BJP MLAs.

"This is one of the most undemocratic governments we have ever seen. The process through which two BJP MLAs were suspended is immoral and against the norms of parliamentary democracy," he added.