Suspension of BJP MLAs in West Bengal Assembly triggers communal diatribe by legislators

Chief of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly and Bharatiya Janata Social gathering (BJP) chief Suvendu Adhikari with occasion MLAs holds a protest throughout State Funds Session, in Kolkata on Tuesday. File
| Photograph Credit score: ANI

The protests over the suspension of Bharatiya Janata Social gathering (BJP) legislators from the West Bengal Assembly precipitated a communal diatribe on Wednesday, with the Chief of the Opposition (LoP) in the State Assembly Suvendu Adhikari threatening to “throw the Muslim MLAs outdoors the Assembly premises” when the BJP got here to energy.

The comment by the LoP didn’t go down properly with Muslim MLAs of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), together with Humayun Kabir and Siddiqullah Chowdhury, who threatened Mr. Adhikari with dire penalties if he didn’t withdraw his remark.

“I dare the LoP to withdraw the assertion in 72 hours or else the 42 MLAs (Muslim MLAs of the TMC) will make him perceive the results in the Assembly,” Mr. Kabir, the Bharatpur MLA, stated.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, whereas talking contained in the Home, accused the BJP of importing “pretend Hinduism” to the State. Members of the Treasury Benches tabled a censure movement towards the comment by Mr. Adhikari on “throwing Muslim MLAs out”.

BJP legislators protested towards the movement, sustaining that the Chief of the Opposition remained suspended and had not made the assertion contained in the Home.

BJP MLAs dressed in black garments on Wednesday to protest towards the suspension of Mr. Adhikari and 4 different MLAs. Whereas Mr. Adhikari and three different BJP MLAs had been suspended by Speaker Biman Banerjee on February 19, one other BJP MLA was suspended by the Speaker for making a ruckus in the Home earlier this week.

The BJP’s Chief Whip Sankar Ghosh, who led the protests in the State Assembly, later expressed fears for Mr. Adhikari’s life, whereas talking to journalists.

BJP MLAs walked out of the Home and held a dharna on the Assembly’s gates.

Mr. Adhikari stated he had knowledgeable the Assembly Secretariat that if something occurred to him contained in the Assembly premises, the Speaker can be accountable.

Whereas talking contained in the Home, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused the BJP of taking part in the “Hindu card”. “How may somebody have the braveness to say that he’ll throw Muslim MLAs outdoors the Assembly?” she stated.

The CM additionally stated that she had spoken to leaders of her personal occasion, together with Firhad Hakim, who had made objectionable remarks. With out referring to Mr. Adhikari, Ms. Banerjee stated that he made such remarks “to be appointed because the BJP State president”.

Mr. Adhikari, nevertheless, continued to focus on the Chief Minister, and referred to as her “anti-Hindu”. He stated that Ms. Banerjee had referred to as the Maha Kumbh ‘Mrityur Kumbh’, and had not participated in the consecration ceremony of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.

“She is going to undergo the destiny of (former Delhi Chief Minister) Arvind Kejriwal. She is upset with me as a result of I’ve defeated her at Nandigram (in the 2021 Assembly election) by a margin of 1,956 votes. She is going to lose Bhawanipore (the Chief Minister’s constituency in south Kolkata) additionally (in 2026),” Mr. Adhikari stated.

The LoP, who has in the previous referred to as on his occasion to dispose of the ‘Minority Morcha’ as a result of “Muslims didn’t vote for the BJP”, claimed that in 2026, none of the Hindu MLAs of the Trinamool Congress can be elected, and “solely Muslim MLAs will be capable of win the Assembly election”.

Citing the case of Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijendra Gupta, who was pressured outdoors the Home when the Aam Admi Social gathering (AAP) was in energy in the nationwide capital , Mr. Adhikari stated that the Muslim MLAs of the TMC would undergo an analogous destiny when the BJP got here to energy in West Bengal.

Congress chief and former MLA Ali Imran Ramz lodged a grievance towards Mr. Adhikari for “communal remarks” on the Chakulia Police Station in Uttar Dinajpur district.