There was uproar in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly on Thursday with the main Opposition party the Trinamool Congress (TC) creating ‘obstruction' near the Speaker's Chair , demanding Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee's presence during a motion that it proposed to move.
Speaker Hashim Abdul Halim felt unwell in the melee that followed even as he adjourned the house. The TC legislators who had just begun a sit-in before his chamber left on hearing about his condition. The motion pertained to the “situation arising out of the failure of the government.”
In a brief interaction with reporters later, Mr. Halim said that “obstruction'' was created within the House. On whether legal action would be initiated against guilty legislators, he said the people will decide on this. He said earlier in the House that the presence of the Chief Minister was not required for the debate on the motion moved by the TC.
While admitting that the Leader of the House was not required for debating on the motion, Trinamool Congress leader Partha Chatterjee, who is also the Leader of the Opposition told reporters : “We can't allow moving this motion in the absence of the main accused.” He also said while the day was fixed through discussions of the Business Advisory Committee of the Assembly, it was known only on Thursday morning that Mr. Bhattacharjee would not be coming in the post-lunch session.
“We were told that the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs would answer the debate on the motion – ‘that the situation arising out of the failure of the government on all fronts which has ruined the State be taken into consideration.” This is unbecoming,” Mr. Chatterjee said. He said the Opposition had lined up speakers for discussing the motion and now felt misled.
Earlier, the TC, entered the House and demanded the presence of the Chief Minister, saying that the motion will not be moved in his absence.
