Birbhum violence: TMC, BJP leaders come to blows in Bengal assembly
Leader of opposition in the assembly Suvendu Adhikari, who was accused of busting the nose of TMC legislator Asit Majumdar, was among the five legislators who were suspended.
The last day of the budget session in West Bengal legislative assembly witnessed unruly scenes on Monday when members of the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) exchanged blows after heated arguments over the Birbhum violence, prompting speaker Biman Banerjee to suspend five opposition legislators from the remaining sessions of the house this year.
Leader of opposition in the assembly Suvendu Adhikari, who was accused of busting the nose of TMC legislator Asit Majumdar, was among the five legislators who were suspended.
While Majumdar was rushed to a hospital with a fractured nose, the BJP alleged that at least eight of its party legislators were injured in the fight and had to undergo treatment. BJP’s chief whip in the assembly Manoj Tigga, who was also suspended, suffered a fracture in his ribs, the party said. Both parties alleged women legislators were attacked by each other’s legislators.
Hours after the incident, Bengal governor Jagdeep Dhankhar called on Union home minister Amit Shah at his residence in New Delhi. The reason behind Dhankhar’s meeting with Shah was not immediately clear.
Chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who was in Darjeeling for a five-day visit, called on minister Firhad Hakim to enquire about the incident. She also spoke to state parliamentary affairs minister Partha Chatterjee, a TMC leader said.
Speaker Banerjee, who tried to pacify the BJP MLAs in the assembly, said: “It was an unwarranted incident. There have been heated discussions in the past, but the way they (BJP MLAs) attacked was reprehensible. It is unthinkable how female security guards were attacked. This will not be tolerated.”
Eight people, including two children, were charred to death when houses were set ablaze in Bogtuivillage in Birbhum district late on March 21, in what is suspected to be the violent fallout of the murder of a ruling TMC panchayat official Bhadu Sheikh. One of the four people, who sustained burn injuries and was undergoing treatment at a state-run hospital in nearby Rampurhat town, died on Monday, taking the overall toll to nine.
The killings, believed to have been caused by an ongoing feud between two rival groups belonging to the TMC and triggered a massive political row across the state, is being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation as per Calcutta high court orders.
Ever since the massacre last week, BJP legislators have been staging protests and walkouts from the assembly, demanding discussions and a statement from chief minister Banerjee on the matter.
After their demand for a debate was once again rejected by the speaker on Monday, BJP legislators trooped to the well of the house and staged a protest. A scuffle between the BJP members and security personnel erupted after the former tried to go near the speaker. The situation worsened when TMC members joined in and a fight between members of the two parties broke out.
“Suvendu Adhikari hit me. My glasses were broken too when I went to stop the BJP legislators with folded hands as they were engaged in a scuffle with the security personnel,” Majumdar said.
BJP MLA Dipak Barman, who was also suspended, alleged Majumdar hurt his nose after falling down in the melee.
“We had demanded a statement from the chief minister and a discussion in the house about the deteriorating law and order in the state. When the speaker declined, BJP legislators protested. First, the security personnel attacked us, and then, the TMC legislators,” Adhikari said.
“There were more than 150 police personnel and more than 200 TMC legislators in the house. We were just around 60. Had I not stopped the fight and brought our legislators out, you can imagine what could have happened. If not in the house, we will raise the issue (of alleged deterioration of law and order) outside the assembly. We will take to social media. The governor is the custodian of the assembly. We will also inform him. There are other ways too,” he added.
Besides Adhikari, Barman and Tigga, and MLAs Narahari Mahato and Shankar Ghosh were suspended from the remaining sessions this year. In view of the speaker’s order, all the five MLAs will not be able to attend the monsoon and winter sessions of the assembly later this year.
Tigga alleged he was dragged and hit in the chest, and his shirt was torn by TMC MLAs.
At least five BJP legislators had to be taken to the assembly dispensary for treatment. “I was punched and kicked. I am not feeling well. Women legislators were not spared. How can women be safe outside,” BJP legislator Chandana Bauri said.
The chaos ended after BJP legislators staged a walkout from the House.
“It was abominable. The way they (BJP) attacked women security personnel; it was shameless. The modesty of women was outraged,” TMC lawmaker and minister Chandrima Bhattacharya said.
Following the scuffle, speaker Banerjee sought a report from the accounts committee on the losses incurred by the assembly. TMC leaders accused the BJP of breaking lights and dismantling mikes in the house.
“BJP wants to do bahubali (strongman) politics. We have more than 200 MLAs. Had we attacked, the result would have been different. But our legislators were injured. The BJP is doing this out of frustration to stop the government from working. It was pre-planned and entirely instigated by the leader of the opposition,” Chatterjee said.
“The BJP wanted a CBI probe into the Birbhum incident. The court ordered a CBI probe. The state government is cooperating. Now what discussion do they want? They triggered the ruckus just for the sake of it. They want to create anarchy,” TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said.
Later in the day, BJP workers and leaders, including Adhikari, held a massive rally in central Kolkata to protest against the Birbhum massacre and ruckus in the assembly, besides alleged deterioration of law and order in the state.
Earlier in December 2012, three legislators were injured in a fight between TMC and Left Front MLAs in the assembly. Three CPIM lawmakers were suspended for a few days of the then winter session of assembly.
The TMC, in the 2021 assembly elections, returned to power for the third time in a row after winning 215 out of 294 seats. The BJP won 77 seats.
