KOLKATA: Despite his one-month suspension from the West Bengal Assembly ending on Tuesday, Leader of Opposition in the House, Suvendu Adhikari, has announced that he will not attend the remaining session.
Suvendu Adhikari said he will skip the remaining days of the second phase of the Budget Session of the Assembly scheduled to continue till March 20, as a mark of protest
His protest is against the suspension of his fellow BJP legislator Deepank Barman from Falakata Assembly constituency in Alipurduar district for the entire period of the second round of the Budget Session of the House, which was announced by Speaker Biman Bandopadhyay on March 10.
To recall, LoP Adhikari and three other BJP legislators namely Agnimitra Paul, Biswanath Karak, and Bankim Ghosh were suspended from attending the House proceedings for a month on February 17, when the first round of the Budget Session of the Assembly was on.
Officially, that one-month suspension period ended on Monday and the four BJP legislators could have attended the proceedings on Tuesday, which is the fifth day of the current Budget Session.
However, on March 10, the Speaker ordered the Marshals to escort two BJP legislators namely Shankar Ghosh and Manoj Kumar Oraon out of the House and also suspended Barman.
Protesting against that, Suvendu Adhikari will not attend the remaining days of the Budget Session.
Speaking to the media at the gate of the Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari said that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her government do not respect their accountability to the Assembly.
“Our Legislators have been suspended from attending the House again and again. So unable to speak within the House, we have to address the common people through you outside, ” Adhikari said.
He also accused the Speaker of being biased and said, “Whenever our legislators being adjournment motions within the House for discussions on crucial issues, such motions are not admitted.”