Kolkata: Following a scuffle between a Trinamool and a BJP councillor during the House proceedings inside Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), the chairperson Mala Roy, who had to adjourn the meeting for some time, asked both of them to show cause for violating disciplinary code while Mayor Firhad Hakim has warned that no personal attacks will be tolerated.
During the House meeting on Saturday, TMC councillor Ashim Bose got engaged in a scuffle with the BJP councillors Sajal Ghosh and Bijoy Ojha while the Mayor Firhad Hakim was addressing the House. Hakim, while talking on an issue, remarked that such is the condition of the Opposition councillors that no proper questions relating to civic issues are being raised in the House by them. To this, BJP councillor Sajal Ghosh told the Mayor that at times Hakim sounds like an Opposition leader. Soon after a massive scuffle began.
Chairperson Mala Roy immediately adjourned the proceedings of the House which resumed after 10 minutes approximately. She warned that discipline needs to be maintained inside the House which is not a place for political fights but for discussing civic body issues. Addressing the media later, Roy said such a situation had taken place before in the House during the Left but warned that there should not be a repeat. She informed that both the TMC and BJP councillors were asked to show cause for breaking the discipline code. She said that suspension may follow if an appropriate response is not given.
Later, Mayor Firhad Hakim, during a press conference, said that the BJP councillor allegedly made a personal attack against the TMC councillor calling him a thief. He said that no one has the right to malign anyone’s reputation in that manner because “we are first human beings and then politicians”. Hakim said there should be constructive criticism.
The BJP councillor however alleged that this was a ploy of stopping the opposition from raising the question of corruption relating to the purchase of raincoats and school uniform in the House. The member mayor in council Education Sandipan Saha said that the allegation of corruption is false since the tender being referred to was scrapped by the Mayor.