New Delhi: West Bengal Assembly on Monday witnessed unprecedented scenes as BJP MLAs raise slogans during Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar's address to the House in the video shared by news agency ANI on microblogging site Twitter.
High drama was seen on the first day of the budget session of the West Bengal assembly on Monday as Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar had to table his inaugural address with BJP MLAs staging a protest in the House over alleged violence in the recently concluded civic elections in the state.
After the victory in the year 2021, this entire budget session has started today, but the BJP obstructed the Governor in reciting the address. The Governor could not deliver the speech due to heavy opposition from the BJP on the allegations of rigging in the civic elections. However, later Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar put the speech on the table of the assembly.
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The governor was seen pleading with the BJP MLAs to allow the proceedings to start however the saffron MLAs stayed determined. They raised 'Jai Shri Ram' and 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' slogans.
As the governor was about to leave the House, ruling party MLAs including Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee requested him to stay, following which Dhankhar again asked the BJP lawmakers to quiet down, but in vain.
TMC members additionally raised anti-BJP slogans from 2.26 PM onwards.
Bothered over the dissent, Dhankhar thrice attempted to leave the House however his way was blocked by TMC legislators.
The drama and disruption of proceedings went on till 3 PM.
Following repeated requests by the treasury bench, Dhankhar tabled his speech and left.
Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari has alleged that Governor was assaulted by TMC leaders.
BJP's Nandigram MLA Suvendu Adhikari said that opposition members needed to enlist their protest against supposed incidents of brutality and rigging during the civic polls.
Afterward, Mamata said that the BJP's protest was pointed toward making established agitation however it was deflected as the governor acknowledged her request to table his discourse.
"What BJP did today in the assembly is a shame for democracy. It is unprecedented. The saffron party wanted to create a constitutional crisis. We requested the governor to read at least one line from his speech and table it in the House. He kept our request. We are thankful to him," she told reporters.
In July last year, Dhankhar had to slice short his inaugural address to the recently constituted assembly in the midst of fights by opposition BJP against alleged post-poll violence in the state.
(With PTI inputs)