- The functioning of the House is not completely dependent on the Governor: Biman Banerjee
- The speaker of the assembly called a special session of the assembly on Thursday
- If anyone thinks we are helpless then they are wrong: Biman Banerjee
West Bengal Legislative Assembly, Amid the ongoing deadlock over the swearing-in of two newly elected Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLAs, Speaker Biman Banerjee on Thursday called a special session of the West Bengal Assembly. He said that the functioning of the House is not entirely dependent on the Governor.
What did the Assembly Speaker say?
Speaking to reporters, Banerjee said the Business Advisory Committee would meet on Friday afternoon to decide the duration of the session.
He said the special session will begin at 2 pm on Friday. Banerjee said, “If someone thinks we are helpless then he (man/woman) is wrong. The assembly is not helpless and everything is not in the hands of the governor. You cannot impose your views on us. There are rules, laws and constitutional norms. We all have to follow them.”
Two newly elected Trinamool Congress MLAs staged a sit-in protest in the West Bengal Assembly premises for the sixth day on Thursday. They have demanded that they be sworn in at the House instead of the Raj Bhavan. Governor C.V. Anand Bose had invited them to take oath at the Raj Bhavan.
What is the whole matter?
Baranagar MLA Sayantika Bandopadhyay and Bhagabangola MLA Rayat Hossain Sarkar began a sit-in on June 27, which continued on July 4. Despite winning the assembly by-elections, they are yet to assume their role as elected representatives due to the pending oath-taking process.
The Assembly Speaker, who had earlier sought President Draupadi Murmu’s intervention in the matter, on Friday accused the Governor of making it a battle of ego.
He said, “The governor is deliberately creating a deadlock. He has turned it into a battle of egos. This matter should be resolved so that the MLAs can take oath.”
Protest near Ambedkar’s statue
Bandopadhyay and MLA Sarkar resumed their sit-in protest, carrying placards that read “We are waiting for the Governor” near the statue of B. R. Ambedkar in the Assembly premises.
Both the MLAs were elected in the assembly by-elections held along with the Lok Sabha elections, but they have refused to take oath at the Raj Bhavan.
The governor had invited him to take oath at the Raj Bhavan last Wednesday, which he declined, citing norms.