Speaker rejects BJP’s adjournment motion

Kolkata: Speaker of Bengal legislative Assembly Biman Banerjee on Wednesday declined the BJP’s demand for a discussion on an adjournment motion over the state government allowing permission to use 30 per cent of unused land in tea gardens to be made freehold for the purpose of tourism. The Speaker, however, allowed legislator Bishal Lama to read out the motion.

The Speaker said that the issue could be discussed during the session and there was no need for an adjournment motion to be allowed over it.

The BJP lawmakers strongly opposed the move and insisted on a discussion in the House.

However, when their request was turned down, they started protesting by raising slogans for a few minutes and then staged a walkout. They came out of the House and continued their demonstration on the Assembly lawn. The Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the state Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, is likely to hold a rally at Kalchini in North Bengal on February 23 on various issues related to the tea sector.

The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha supremo Bimal Gurung is also likely to join the rally.