West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday had to cut short his inaugural address at the state Assembly’s Budget Session after Bharatiya Janata Party MLAs disrupted proceedings, PTI reported.
The BJP MLAs accused the Trinamool Congress of violence during the recent civic elections in the state. Some of them held up photographs and posters of people who they claimed were victims of the violence.
BJP MLAs protested in the Well of the Assembly and shouted slogans of “Jai Shri Ram” and “Bharat Mata Ki Jai”.
Visuals released by ANI showed chaotic scenes in the Assembly, as MLAs crowded around Dhankhar, and held protests.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Speaker Biman Banerjee exhorted the governor to proceed with his speech, The Hindu reported. When Dhankhar attempted to leave the House, Trinamool Congress MLAs surrounded him and stopped him from leaving without reading his speech.
The governor the read out the first and last lines of his address and left the House.
The West Bengal civic polls were held on February 27, and the results were declared on March 2. The Trinamool Congress registered a landslide victory in the election, winning 102 of the 108 municipalities.
There had been multiple incidents of violence on the day of polling.
Clashes between supporters of the BJP and the Trinamool Congress were reported in Bhatpara municipality of North 24 Paraganas district. In Barrackpore, an Independent candidate was allegedly beaten up by Trinamool Congress workers.
In the Arambagh area of Hooghly district, candidates of the Left Front were allegedly beaten up by members of the Trinamool Congress.
‘Shame for democracy’: Mamata Banerjee
Meanwhile, Mamata Banerjee alleged that the BJP wanted to create a constitutional crisis, according to PTI.
“What BJP did today in the assembly is a shame for democracy,” Banerjee said. “It is unprecedented.”
The chief minister said that TMC MLAs asked the governor to read at least a line from his speech and table it. “He kept our request. We are thankful to him,” she said.
Leader of Opposition and BJP MLA Suvendu Adhikari said that while his party respects the office of the governor, his speech was written by the chief minister, The Hindu reported.
Dhankhar had been forced to cut short his address to the Assembly during the Monsoon Session in July as well. At the time, BJP MLAs had held protests against violence in the state after the results of the Assembly elections.
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