‘Democracy is disgraced': BJP after MLAs come to blows inside Bengal assembly
The assembly plunged into pandemonium as TMC and BJP MLAs exchanged blows after saffron party legislators demanded a statement by Banerjee over "worsening" law and order situation in the state.
West Bengal Assembly Speaker Biman Bandyopadhyay on Monday suspended five BJP MLAs, including leader of opposition Suvendu Adhikari, for their alleged unruly conduct in the House. Adhikari, along with BJP legislators Dipak Burman, Shankar Ghosh, Manoj Tigga and Narahari Mahato, were suspended by the Speaker for future sessions this year after a ruckus broke out inside the House over the Birbhum violence in which eight people were charred to death.
Earlier in the day, the assembly plunged into pandemonium as ruling TMC and BJP MLAs exchanged blows after saffron party legislators demanded a statement by chief minister Mamata Banerjee over "worsening" law and order situation in the state, especially Birbhum district.
Condemning the incident, several BJP leaders, including its IT cell chief Amit Malviya and spokesperson Shehzad Jai Hind, shared a video on social media in which several MLAs can be seen locked in a scuffle on the floor of the House.
The Bengal BJP also took to Twitter to lash out at the ruling party. It claimed that TMC MLAs dragged BJP MLA Narhari Mahato to the ground by the hair inside the House.
“Democracy is disgraced! The destructive totalitarianism is going on in the Assembly. TMC MLAs dragged BJP MLA Narhari Mahato to the ground by the hair. Such a painful assassination of democracy is taking place inside the West Bengal Legislative Assembly today- courtesy TMC!" it tweeted along with a video.
BJP spokesperson Priti Gandhi said, “West Bengal govt doing what they do best!"
“Rowdy TMC MLAs physically assaulted BJP MLAs inside the assembly for demanding a discussion on Rampurhat massacre. Once well known for its rich literary heritage & culture, this is what Bengal has been reduced to under Mamata's rule!" she tweeted.
Bengal BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar described the incident “a new low for democracy in West Bengal".
“TMC MLAs assaulted BJP MLAs inside the assembly on demanding the discussion on Rampurhat massacre. Political violence, murders, rapes and appeasement is increasing in Bengal under @MamataOfficial govt with each passing day," he tweeted.
According to news agency PTI, around 25 BJP MLAs, led by Adhikari, then walked out of the assembly, claiming that several party legislators were roughed up by TMC MLAs inside the House.
Also Read | Birbhum massacre a conspiracy to topple Bengal’s biggest coal project: Mamata
"MLAs are not safe even inside the assembly... At least 8-10 of our legislators were beaten up, including chief whip Manoj Tigga, by some TMC MLAs, as we demanded that the CM make a statement in the House on the law and order issue," Adhikari said.
TMC leader and state minister Firhad Hakim, however, told reporters that the BJP is staging a drama to create chaos in the assembly. "Few of our MLAs were injured inside the House. We condemn the conduct of the BJP," he said.
