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West Bengal Assembly: Governor Dhankhar gives one-line speech amid protests
Around 3 pm, Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar read a line of his inaugural address and tabled it before leaving the assembly. He was escorted by the speaker and chief minister Mamata Banerjee
The budget session of West Bengal legislative assembly began on a stormy note on Monday as governor Jagdeep Dhankhar was forced to table his inaugural address amid constant protests by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislators over the alleged violence in the recently concluded civic elections in the state.
It was only on the request of chief minister Mamata Banerjee that Dhankhar delivered a line from his speech before leaving the premises.
“I tried my best to ensure order in the House. There was no cooperation from either side. As the governor, I cannot allow a Constitutional crisis. Ultimately to discharge solemn Constitutional duty and to ensure highest traditions are maintained, I took the only step available that the address be laid on the table,” Dhankhar told reporters later.
As the governor arrived at the assembly at 2 pm to deliver the inaugural address, BJP legislators led by leader of opposition in the assembly Suvendu Adhikari, came down to the well to stage a protest.
“The Trinamool Congress (TMC) and state police looted votes in the recently-held civic polls. It was entirely organised by the chief minister and her police. The BJP doesn’t accept this mandate. But the governor’s speech didn’t have a word on the poll violence. The content of his speech was the brainchild of the chief minister. The council of ministers inserted specific words and lines which the chief minister wanted. We registered an unprecedented protest,” Adhikari said.
The ruling TMC last week swept the civic elections in the state, bagging 102 out of 108 municipalities. The BJP, which won 77 seats in the state assembly elections in May 2021, couldn’t win a single civic body.
Amid the protests in the assembly on Monday, speaker Biman Banerjee, Dhankhar and the chief minister pleaded with the BJP MLAs to let the proceedings begin but the saffron legislators refused. At 2.26 pm, TMC members also started raising anti-BJP slogans.
As the governor found it difficult to read his speech, he attempted to leave the assembly more than once. The chief minister, however, rushed to him and requested him to read at least one line so that the proceedings could begin. TMC women legislators also tried to dissuade him from leaving.
The governor was also seen speaking with TMC state general secretary and state parliamentary affairs minister Partha Chatterjee and Adhikari on the situation.
It was only around 3 pm that the governor read a line of his inaugural address and tabled it before leaving the house. The governor was escorted by the speaker and chief minister.
“The speaker appealed to them (BJP). I appealed to them. The BJP is shameless. They lost in the elections and are now trying to stage a drama. It is a shame on democracy. It was all pre-planned. We waited for an hour. Not a single TMC MLA uttered a word. It was only when the governor was attempting to leave that TMC legislators went up to his chair and appealed to him to read at least one line,” Mamata told reporters after seeing off Dhankhar outside the assembly.
“I am now going to thank him (Dhankhar). Had the governor left without reading, it would have led to a Constitutional crisis. It was an unprecedented situation. TMC legislators requested him multiple times not to leave, without reading his speech. The governor called me. I asked the legislators to take their seats. He then read the speech. Thanks to him,” she added.
Hours later, during an interaction with the media, Adhikari alleged that the “governor was physically assaulted by TMC leaders”. “What happened inside the House, everybody saw it very carefully... We will meet the governor. He should take appropriate action. If necessary, we will consult with the central government,” Adhikari said.
To this, Dhankhar said “only the BJP can share details on that”. He added that he had directed the assembly secretary to deploy marshal to restore order in the House.
“The secretary gave in writing that he had conveyed the same (direction) to the marshal who declined. This is not a small development. This is very serious,” he said.
