Senior Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Mukul Roy was on Friday appointed chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee in the West Bengal Assembly by Speaker Biman Banerjee.
The veteran politician, who bagged the Krishnanagar Uttar Assembly seat on a BJP ticket, joined the Trinamool Congress on June 11.
The Speaker made the announcement in the House on the last day of its Budget session. Soon after the announcement, BJP members, led by Suvendu Adhikari, protested and walked out.
Mr. Adhikari said that as per norms, an MLA from the Opposition is appointed as the chairperson of the committee. “ This government does not conduct audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General. It wants to spend and does not want anyone to know where it is spending the money,” he alleged. The Calcutta High Court had to direct investigation in irregularities in Amphan cyclone relief, he stated.
‘Nothing wrong’
Senior Minister and TMC leader Subrata Mukherjee said that officially Mr. Roy is a BJP MLA and there was nothing wrong in his appointment as PAC chief.
Last month, the Speaker named 20 legislators as members of the committee, including Mr. Roy. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had given clear hints that the TMC will support him for the key post. She had said he is a BJP MLA, and if required, it is ready for voting on the issue in the House.
Mr. Roy was one of the founding members of the TMC. Before returning to it, he was with the BJP for more than three and a half years and appointed its national vice-president.
FIR against Suvendu
In another development, the police registered an FIR against Mr. Adhikari in connection with the death of his security guard, Shubhabrata Chakraborty, in 2018. The family members of Mr. Chakraborty said they could not approach the police three years ago as Mr. Adhikari was a Minister.
