Violence by BJP premeditated, claims Partha

Kolkata: Trouble started as soon as the House convened on the concluding day of the state budget session.BJP MLAs, who were staying out of assembly discussions, came down to the assembly well, demanding the CM’s statement on the Rampurhat violence. “The CM issued statements in Birbhum when the assembly was in session. It is a convention across the country that CMs and the PM make statements in the assembly or Parliament (if it is in session),” said

Suvendu Adhikari

, alleging that the Bengal CM was “shying away from the assembly”, as other BJP MLAs tore papers and tried to snatch the speaker’s mace. Women employees of the assembly cordoned off the speaker’s chair to keep the BJP MLAs at bay as the speaker censured the latter, saying they should have participated in assembly discussions before making their demands. “This is undesirable. You have been bunking discussions throughout the session and are now demanding the CM’s statement,” the speaker said, turning down the BJP demand. The violence followed in the wake of the BJP demand and the speaker’s observation. A few Trinamool MLAs rose from their seats and confronted the BJP MLAs, resulting in blows being traded and a lot of pushing and shoving for about half an hour. Minister Firhad Hakim later moved a motion seeking suspension of three BJP leaders (Adhikari, Tigga and Ghosh). “BJP members resorted to hooliganism inside the House today. Even ma-rshals were beaten up,” Hakim said. TMC MLAs then added two more names — Barman’s and Mahato’s — following which the speaker suspended all five.“Trinamool MLAs broke my spectacles and tore my clothes,” Tigga said. Adhikari complained that BJP women MLAs — Chandana Bauri,

Tapasi Mandal

— too were hurt.TMC minister Chandrima Bhattacharya rubbished the BJP charge and accused its MLAs of attacking Trinamool MLAs.Trinamool parliamentary minister

Partha Chatterjee

said Monday’s “BJP violence was premeditated”. “They are trying to create trouble both inside and outside the assembly,” Chatterjee said.Two other BJP MLAs, Mihir Goswami and Sudip Mukherjee, who were suspended on the first day of the state budget session on March 7, would now be able to join future assembly sessions as the budget session ended on Monday.