Shocker: Trinamool Congress, Left MLAs trade blows inside West Bengal Assembly premises

Alleging that Speaker was partisan by allowing Parliamentary Affairs minister Partha Chatterjee to intervene while he was speaking, Mishra said "If this be so, then I should also be allowed to speak as Leader of the Opposition."

Alleging that chit funds which had mushroomed in the state mopped up over Rs 1,500 crore and were involved in hawala operations, Mishra said LF members moved a motion demanding discussion on them as they posed a threat to investors and agents.

Mishra said the LF members would stage a sit-in inside the assembly till the Speaker conceded their demands.

"Our next course of action will depend on how the Speaker responds to our demands," he said.

TMC govt defends chair's ruling

The West Bengal government today defended Speaker Biman Banerjee's ruling in suspending three CPI(M) MLAs for instigating violence in the Assembly and rejected the countercharge against Trinamool Congress as false.

Parliamentary Affairs minister Partha Chatterjee said that the House adopted a resolution condemning activities of the CPI(M) members in provoking violence, abusing the Speaker and disrupting proceedings of the House.

He said that the Speaker had suspended the members under section 347 which did not provide any scope for self-defence as demanded by Leader of the Opposition Suryakanta Mishra, belonging to the CPI(M).

Alleging that despite being decimated in the state in last election, the CPI(M) had not yet reformed itself and was still resorting to 'goondaraj' as it had done in last 34 years, Chatterjee rejected Mishra's charge that Trinamool Congress members were on the offensive against opposition MLAs and said it was false.

"What business had CPI(M) member Debalina Hembram to go to the treasury bench and attack our women members?" he questioned.

The violence further distanced Trinamool Congress and the Congress which asked the ruling party to be more patient despite the opposition's provocation.

... contd.

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