Bengal assembly speaker Biman Banerjee revokes suspension of 7 BJP lawmakers

On June 13, Banerjee cited technical reasons and rejected a BJP motion demanding that the suspensions be revoked

West Bengal assembly speaker Biman Banerjee on Thursday revoked the suspension on seven Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lawmakers, including Opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari, officials said.

Opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari was among those suspended. (ANI)

State parliamentary affairs minister Partha Chatterjee and his Cabinet colleagues Firhad Hakim and Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay backed the decision taken at a meeting of the assembly’s business affairs committee. “It is the speaker’s discretion,” Chatterjee said.

Adhikari, Manoj Tigga, Narhari Mahato, Dipak Burman, and Shankar Ghosh were suspended on March 28 after ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) lawmakers complained they were assaulted when BJP members were protesting against an incident of arson in Birbhum, which left 11 people dead.

TMC lawmaker Asit Majumdar left the assembly with a bleeding nose alleging Adhikari punched him. Adhikari denied the charge. Two BJP lawmakers Mihir Goswami and Sudip Mukhopadhyay were earlier suspended in March.

The BJP moved the Calcutta high court calling the suspensions undemocratic and illegal. On June 13, Banerjee cited technical reasons and rejected a BJP motion demanding that the suspensions be revoked. Adhikari then said BJP will not submit another motion and wait for the high court order.