Kolkata, Sep 2 (IANS) The Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in West Bengal Assembly and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, Suvendu Adhikari, on Tuesday, was suspended from the Assembly on the second day of the special session of the House after he raised slogans in support of the Indian Army amid the row surfacing this week after the Army personnel allegedly dismantled a Trinamool Congress protest stage in Kolkata’s Maidan area falling under the jurisdiction of the Army’s Eastern Command.
The Army contention was that Trinamool Congress’s protest stage continued at that place for days, although the permission from the Eastern Command for it was taken just for two days, the deadline for which expired some time back.
On Tuesday, the State Education Minister, Bratya Basu, raised the matter on the floor of the Assembly on the second day of the special session of the House, and while speaking on that matter, he made such a comment about the Indian Army, which irked the BJP legislators.
“When the Army personnel dismantled our (Trinamool Congress) protest stage on Monday, the event reminded us of the shooting incident by the Pakistani Army in Dhaka city on March 25, 1971. The Army personnel dismantled our protest stage on Monday for political reasons,” Basu said.
This comment from the State Education Minister irked the BJP legislators, including the LoP, who started raising slogans within the House claiming that Basu, through his comments, had insulted the Indian Army.
“The Speaker of the House, Biman Bandopadhyay, tried to control the commotion. However, the situation gradually became more heated. Finally, the Speaker suspended the Leader of the Opposition for the day.”
At one point, even the Speaker summoned the Marshal of the House to evict the protesting BJP legislators, including LoP Adhikari, from the House.
However, the BJP legislators, led by the Leader of the Opposition, staged a walkout from the House before the Marshal had to intervene.
“I have been suspended again. I had to be suspended for speaking on behalf of the Indian Army. I feel proud of the Indian Army. No one could stop us (BJP) from raising our voice in support of the Indian Army,” LoP Adhikari told media persons after staging the walkout.
–IANS
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