Four BJP legislators suspended for entire Monsoon session amid chaos in Bengal Assembly

Kolkata, June 23 (IANS) A ruckus broke out within the West Bengal Assembly on Monday, which is the 11th day of the ongoing Monsoon session of the House, following the suspension of four BJP legislators for the entire session.

The four BJP legislators who have been suspended for the remaining part of the session include Shankar Ghosh from Siliguri in Darjeeling district, Agnimitra Paul from Asansol Dakshin in West Burdwan district, Manoj Kumar Oraon from Kumargram in Alipurduar district and Dipak Barman from Falakata also in Alipurduar district.

While Ghosh is the Chief Whip of BJP's Legislative Party in the state Assembly, Paul is an acclaimed fashion designer in personal life.

The ruckus broke out on the floor of the House immediately after the Speaker Biman Bandopadhyay announced the suspension of the four BJP legislators.

The remaining BJP legislators, including the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, came down to the well of the House and started protesting there and raising slogans.

During those protests, there was a heated exchange of words between the Assembly Speaker and the LoP.

Finally, the Speaker summoned the Marshall and the other security personnel of the Assembly and directed them to take away the protesting BJP legislators outside the House.

As the BJP leaders were being forcefully evicted by the security personnel led by the Marshall, a scuffle broke out between the Opposition MLAs and the security personnel.

Shankar Ghosh's spectacles and watch were damaged amid the scuffle.

The ambiance within the House has been quite heated since the beginning of the proceedings of the House on Monday.

BJP legislator from Balurghat Assembly constituency in South Dinajpur district and the former Chief Economic Advisor to the Union government Ashok Kumar Lahiri questioned why the speeches of his party legislators were expunged on the ninth and 10th day of the Monsoon session.

The West Bengal Minister of State for Finance (Independent charge), Chandrima Bhattacharya, said that the speeches were expunged following the direction of the Speaker.

Thereafter, the BJP legislators started protesting claiming the expunging of the speeches was undemocratic in nature.

The opposition MLAs protested by tearing apart paper documents on the proceedings of the House circulated among them.

Thereafter, the Speaker announced the suspension of the four BJP legislators.

--IANS

src/khz