A Trinamool Congress legislator on Saturday made an objectionable comment on an MLA of Communist Party of India (Marxist), drawing widespread criticism from members of the West Bengal Assembly cutting across party lines.
The remark by TMC MLA Nargis Begum, directed towards CPI(M) legislator Jahanara Khan, was expunged from the records of the House. The Trinamool legislator later apologised to Ms. Khan for her comment.
The remark was made during the discussion on the speech of Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar in the first half of the Assembly session. Deputy Speaker Sukumar Hansda was in the chair when Ms. Begum made the comment. Speaker Biman Banerjee said he was informed about the remark by Ministers and directed that it be expunged from the House records.
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Later speaking to journalists inside the Assembly premises, Ms. Khan broke down and asked how Ms. Begum can make such comments. Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Partha Chatterjee expressed regret over Ms. Begum’s comment and said that the MLA has herself apologised.
Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and TMC MLA Tapas Roy said that MLAs should be careful with their choice of words and utterances in the Assembly.