Suvendu suspended from Assembly’s Winter session for ‘unruly behaviour’

Kolkata: The Leader of Opposition (LOP) in the state Legislative Assembly Suvendu Adhikari was on Tuesday suspended for the entire Winter session of the state Assembly for making “objectionable remarks” against Speaker Biman Banerjee.

Trinamool Congress MLA Tapas Roy who happens to be the deputy chief whip of the state Assembly brought a motion on the floor of the House demanding suspension of the LOP for the entire session or for a period of 30 days, whichever is earlier.

The Speaker soon announced the decision to suspend Adhikari for the remaining part of the ongoing Winter session of the House.

“The manner in which the LOP behaved inside the House is uncalled for,” Banerjee said.

The ruckus started when BJP legislator Sankar Ghosh during a discussion on ‘Constitution Day’ in the state Assembly remarked that MLAs who defected from the BJP were still holding onto their posts without resigning as MLAs. The Speaker issued instructions to expunge the statement from Assembly records, following which BJP MLAs led by Adhikari vehemently protested against the decision to expunge the word and started protesting on the floor of the House.

“You are not abiding with the Constitution. I will take action against you,” Adhikari threatened the Speaker while tearing a piece of paper and throwing the same at him.

As Banerjee warned him for acting in a manner that was not in line with the rules and protocols of the House, Suvendu retorted by furnishing his thumb at the Speaker and said that he can do nothing. The BJP Legislature party followed it with a walkout.

“I have been an MLA since 1996 and I have never seen any LOP behaving in such an unruly manner showing utter disrespect and lack of etiquette to the Speaker. It reveals that BJP is bereft of political as well as democratic education,” Roy said.

The BJP Legislative party said that they will move a ‘no confidence motion’ against the Speaker during the ongoing session. This is not the first time that Adhikari has been suspended from attending any session of the House. In March last year, the LOP along with four other BJP legislators was suspended from the House. However, their suspension was revoked soon after.