CM steps in to quell furore in House over Cong MLA's question
Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had to intervene and come down to the Well of the state Assembly to pacify MLAs of the ruling Trinamool Congress and Congress who were at loggerheads after a question was raised by Congress MLA Pratima Rajak following which Transport minister Suvendu Adhikari made a comment.
Repeated appeals to restore order inside the house made by Speaker Biman Banerjee went unheard and Banerjee had to come down to the Well and tell her party MLAs to go back to their seats, which they did.
The CM then requested the Opposition members to take their seats and they also agreed.
It was around 11.36 am when Congress MLA Pratima Rajak put a question to Transport minister Subhendu Adhikari during the question answer session. "I have heard that the Transport department has engaged a recruitment agency , which is taking bribes of Rs 2 to 3 lakh from applicants," Rajak said. Speaker Biman Banerjee told Rajak that she shouldn't ask questions based on hearsays. The Transport minister rose from his seat and said to the Speaker "Either she has to prove her charge or else she has to apologise in the House."
The minister's insistence fuelled commotion in the Congress camp. Congress MLA from Bharatpur Kamaleswar Chatterjee came down on the Assembly well and charged towards Adhikari shouting at the top of his voice. Two Congress MLAs tried to hold him back but couldn't.
Some TMC MLAs from the treasury benches retorted and rushed to the Well to confront Chatterjee and his agression.
Left Front MLAs sitting in the Opposition benches came down in defence of the Congress members and there was total commotion. Trinamool ministers Aroop Biswas and Jyotipriya Mallick sensed the danger and rushed to the Well to dissuade the agitated Trinamool MLAs. But they would hardly listen to him. The two along with some others stood as a human barricade between the rival members to avert the worse in store. The commotion lasted for nearly five minutes and finally with the CM's intervention the MLAs went back to their seats.
