Chaos in Assembly: CM’s speech disrupted, five BJP MLAs suspended

Kolkata: Pandemonium erupted in the Assembly on Thursday as BJP legislators repeatedly interrupted the Chief Minister’s speech with slogan-shouting, disrupting proceedings, which led to the suspension of five BJP MLAs.

As Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was about to speak on the resolution brought up by the ruling party on alleged atrocities against Bengali-speaking migrant workers from Bengal in BJP-ruled states, the BJP MLAs triggered chaos.

Amid the uproar, Speaker Biman Banerjee suspended BJP chief whip Shankar Ghosh from the Assembly for the remainder of the day. As Ghosh refused to leave, Assembly marshals dragged him out of the House. In total, five BJP MLAs were suspended following the ruckus. As tempers flared in the House, marshals stood guard between the two sides to prevent a scuffle. Later, BJP MLA Agnimitra Paul, who was shouting slogans, was suspended and escorted out by women marshals. BJP MLAs Ashoke Dinda, Bankim Ghosh and Mihir Goswami were also suspended.

BJP MLAs questioned the suspension of Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari on September 2, triggering a sharp response from the treasury benches and sparking a verbal duel between the ruling TMC and the Opposition BJP. BJP chief whip Shankar Ghosh, suspended for the rest of the day for creating disorder, refused to leave, prompting marshals to intervene as both sides resorted to sloganeering.

BJP leaders later alleged that water bottles were hurled at them from the treasury benches during the commotion. As verbal exchanges grew louder, some MLAs from the treasury benches rushed towards the Opposition benches, forcing marshals to step in again.

The chaos compelled the Chief Minister to temporarily halt her speech. She even came down to the well of the House, urging her party MLAs to exercise restraint.