Speaker Biman BanerjeeThe ripples of BJP’s ‘Nabanna Abhiyan’ that was mired in violence, leaving scores injured were felt in the West Bengal Assembly on Thursday with the main Opposition staging a walkout after Speaker Biman Banerjee refused to allow a discussion over corruption issues and the Trinamool Congress protesting Tuesday’s violence and targeting leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari.
Violence erupted in different parts of Kolkata and Howrah as policemen tried to prevent BJP leaders and workers from reaching the state secretariat on Tuesday, leaving several Opposition leaders, workers as well as cops injured. According to police, BJP supporters pelted stones at them and set their vehicle on fire, while opposition leaders alleged police brutality.
Holding placards and shouting slogans, BJP MLAs were seen protesting on the stairs of the Assembly. Similarly, TMC MLAs protest marched on the Assembly lawn with placards in their hands and raising slogans.
BJP’s placards highlighted school jobs scam and alleged police atrocities on their workers during the Nabanna Abhiyan. The placards had photographs of injured BJP workers and piles of cash seized by the ED from apartments of Arpita Mukherjee, an aide of former state minister Partha Chatterjee.
“Our adjournment motion with an appeal for a discussion on corruption was not allowed to be read. They (TMC) are trying to target me by slapping false cases and making personal attacks. I will not bow down,” Adhikari told mediapersons later.
TMC’s placards, on the other hand, highlighted Tuesday’s violence by the BJP and photographs of Suvendu Adhikari during his detention at the Kolkata Police headquarters in Lalbazar.
“What they did during Nabanna Abhiyan, everyone has seen that. Speaker told them politely that sub judice matters cannot be discussed in the Assembly, but they started agitating. We are prepared to counter them,” said TMC MLA and state Industries Minister Sashi Panja.