Kolkata, March 11 West Bengal Assembly Speaker Biman Bandopadhyay on Tuesday directed the assembly secretary to withhold circulation of house proceedings-related documents to BJP legislators.
The move comes in response to repeated incidents of BJP MLAs tearing Assembly documents inside the House. The Speaker noted that similar instances in the past had prompted this decision, aimed at preventing further disruptions.
The directive sparked strong protests from BJP lawmakers, who staged a walkout from the House. Even after leaving, they continued demonstrating within the Assembly premises, shouting slogans against the ruling dispensation.
Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari condemned the decision, calling it "unprecedented" and "authoritarian."
Speaking to the media, he said, "This is a blatant attempt to stifle the opposition’s voice. We have never seen a Speaker take such an extreme step of barring opposition MLAs from receiving assembly documents. However, we are not deterred. We will bring our own papers daily and tear them apart in the House as a mark of protest. Our agitation against this undemocratic move will continue."
Tensions flared when the Speaker refused to admit an adjournment motion tabled by BJP members to discuss recent incidents of communal clashes in certain parts of the state. Justifying his decision, Bandopadhyay stated that the issue had already been deliberated upon in the House and did not warrant further discussion.
This rejection triggered a strong reaction from BJP MLAs, who protested inside the Assembly.
The uproar intensified as some BJP legislators descended into the well of the House, shouting slogans against the ruling dispensation. In a dramatic show of dissent, a few BJP MLAs tore apart assembly papers and documents circulated to them.
Reacting sharply to this, the Speaker announced that henceforth, BJP MLAs would not be provided with any official documents or papers during the session.
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