'Opposition should play more responsible role'

Bengal Assembly Speaker Biman Banerjee, on Monday, said that the Opposition parties should play a more responsible role in the Assembly.

It may be mentioned that a pandemonium broke out at the Assembly over the presentation of West Bengal Prevention of Defacement of Property Bill on February 8. Some of the Opposition MLAs damaged the furniture and microphones inside the Assembly.

The Speaker also sought co-operation from all the MLAs to smoothly run the Assembly session. Banerjee once again reminded the Opposition that they should take part in the Assembly session discussing on the important issues including the bills that are passed in the Assembly.

The Opposition MLAs can also throw some light on the important bills. The Speaker also criticized the Opposition parties for not turning up after claiming that they would repair the damaged furniture inside the Assembly at Rs 12,000. He said that they are claiming that they would repair the damages at Rs 12,000 while around Rs 12 lakh was being spent for their rooms.

In his speech Parliamentary Affairs Minister Partha Chatterjee also criticized the role of the Opposition parties in the Assembly especially on West Bengal Prevention of Defacement of Property Bill. Chatterjee said that Opposition parties boycotted the Assembly only to gain some publicity in the media. Some of the Opposition MLAs acted unparliamentarily in the incident. Chatterjee also thanked the Speaker of the Assembly for running the Assembly well during the trouble created by some Opposition MLAs.

He also thanked Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for fighting against demonetisation that affected some many people throughout the country.

"Some MLAs boycotted the Assembly only to get some publicity in the media. When MLAs should work for the people they are working to gain publicity by wrong means," Chatterjee maintained.

Monday's session in the Bengal Assembly concluded with the Opposition boycotting the session.