Kolkata

Office of West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose sent letters to two newly elected Trinamool Congress MLAs, Sayantika Banerjee and Reyat Houssen Sarkar, warning them of financial penalties if they participate in Assembly proceedings on Monday. After taking their oaths administered by Speaker Biman Bandopadhyay, the MLAs arrived at the Assembly for the Monsoon Session, which began that day.

They were later notified by the Governor’s office to clarify who had administered their oaths. The notice stated that because the oaths were given by the Speaker rather than the Deputy Speaker—who was appointed by the Governor—the oaths are deemed unconstitutional.

According to Article 193 of the Indian Constitution, the Governor has the authority to impose financial penalties on the MLAs if they participate in Assembly activities without proper approval. This article stipulates that anyone sitting or voting in the Assembly without meeting constitutional requirements or legal qualifications can be fined up to 500 rupees for each day of non-compliance.