Dramatic scenes unfolded in the Bengal Assembly on Wednesday after a ruckus was created by Leader of Opposition Abdul Mannan who continued his protest holding placards against the government for bringing in the West Bengal Maintenance of Public Order (Amendment) Bill 2017 to curb the tendency to destroy public and private properties during riots, unrest or violent political movements.
Mannan was suspended by Speaker Biman Banerjee for two days for stalling the House proceedings but he continued to protest, thus, leading to him being marshalled out after which the House functioned normally.
In the meantime, while Mannan was being marshalled out, he fell ill and had to be hospitalised and admitted to the ICU. However, he was later stated to be stable but was still in the ICU. Meanwhile, TMC leaders Dr Manas Bhunia and Sashi Panja paid a visit to Mannan in the hospital on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's orders. The suspension order passed by Speaker Biman Bandyopadhyay led to a chaotic situation in the Assembly as Congress and Left Front MLAs were not ready to allow the marshall and other security personnel to take Mannan out of the
Assembly.
The Bill was later passed when the Left Front and Congress MLAs were agitating in the lobby of the Assembly.
The Bill was placed in the Assembly at 2 pm on Wednesday after the recess. The Leader of the Opposition raised objections soon after the Bill was placed as two amendments to the Bill proposed by them were not accepted. They demanded circulation of the amendments in the House. Simultaneously, Mannan asked other MLAs of his party to stand up. Following his instruction, Congress MLAs along with Left Front MLAs stood up and brandished placards against the government.
The Speaker told Mannan that he set a wrong example by instigating members of the House to put up placards just because the decision of a presiding officer had gone against him. The Speaker continued requesting the Left Front and the Congress MLAs to take down the placards. But they did not pay any heed to him and waited for the instructions of Mannan.
Aggrieved of the situation, the Speaker directed Mannan to withdraw himself from the House. The Leader of the Opposition, however, didn't move out and other members too initiated raising their voices. Finally,the Speaker suspended him from the "service of the House" for two days.
Marshall Debabrata Mukhopadhyay along with Deputy Marshall Bholanath Mukherjee went to bring him out of the House and it led to the scuffle. The Left Front and Congress MLAs didn't allow them to take Mannan out. Congress MLA Manoj Chakraborty was found trying to take away the maze and was stopped by the Deputy Marshall.
Additional security personnel entered the House and made desperate attempts to take the protesting MLAs out of the House. The scuffle between the MLAs and the security personnel continued for around 20 minutes with Trinamool Congress MLAs sitting silently in their own seats. Mannan, who was at the centre of the protesting MLAs and security personnel, suddenly fell ill.
Normalcy in the House returned after he was carried out by the security personnel and finally taken to GD Hospital. Twelve officials of the Assembly including the Marshall and the Deputy Marshall received injuries on their hands and legs in the scuffle. Mikes and furniture in the House were also damaged.
While discussing the Bill, the Chief Minister said that this is an old Act and nothing has been amended in it apart from including the part of compensation for private properties as well. She said that it takes time to create an infrastructure, then how can one be allowed to destroy it in the name of agitation. "This Bill will protest for the right of the people in the future," she said.