Kolkata
Chaos erupted in the West Bengal Assembly on Monday during Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s address, as BJP legislators staged a protest that ultimately led to the suspension of BJP MLA Manoj Kumar Oraon from Kumargram constituency in Alipurduar district.
The disruption began when Banerjee, speaking during the ongoing Monsoon Session, criticized the Union government for freezing funds allocated to West Bengal under various centrally sponsored schemes, including the MGNREGA programme. She alleged that funds due to the state were being diverted to other states despite responding to all queries raised by central investigation teams.
Her remarks triggered an uproar from BJP members, led by Chief Whip Shankar Ghosh, who began shouting slogans and protesting inside the House. In response, Speaker Biman Bandopadhyay suspended MLA Manoj Oraon. The duration of the suspension is yet to be clarified.
Following the suspension, BJP members walked out in protest and staged a sit-in demonstration on the Assembly lawn, holding placards denouncing Oraon’s suspension and demanding transparency in fund allocation.
The Chief Minister also accused the Centre of targeting Bengali-speaking individuals in other states, saying they were being unfairly labeled as Bangladeshi and harassed. Her comments further escalated tensions in the House.
The BJP legislators claimed that the state government was deflecting from accountability by blaming the Centre, while the ruling party accused the BJP of attempting to derail the session. With no immediate resolution, the standoff between the ruling TMC and the opposition BJP intensified, casting a shadow over the remaining days of the Assembly session.
