The West Bengal Assembly witnessed unruly scenes for the second day on Friday when left Front members demanded withdrawal of a minister's statement blaming the CPI(M) for spreading rumours about poisoning of drinking water and a subsequent statement by the chief minister endorsing the minister's accusation.
As the House began its proceedings with the question hour, CPI(M) leader Anisur Rahaman demanded immediate withdrawal of both the statements.
The government should either prove the accusations or immediately withdraw the statements, Rahaman demanded amidst slogan-shouting by LF members who went around the Speaker's chair with placards.
The placards read: House rules can't be violated, opposition voice can't be gagged, Parliamentary democracy has to be restored and demand to stop unparliamentary statement from the Treasury Bench.
The chief minister entered the House towards the end of the question hour when the opposition members went back to their seats with placards in hand. After the question-hour, Speaker Biman Banerjee mentioned an adjournment motion moved by Forward Bloc member Paresh Adhikari demanding discussion on suicide by a potato farmer at Dhupguri in Jalpaiguri district. The motion was rejected, but Adhikari was only allowed to read it out.
Protesting against this and demanding retraction of the statements on poisoning of drinking water, the entire Opposition then made a noisy walkout. PHE minister Subrata Mukherjee and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had yesterday accused the CPI(M) of spreading rumours about poisoning of drinking water at a state-run arsenic treatment plant in South 24-Parganas district.
On Friday while speaking to reporters at the Assembly premises, Mukherjee further alleged that as per information available with him, the rumours were spread by the CPI(M), although it was found on examination that the water was safe. Investigation was still on by the CID to unearth exactly who was behind the act, he said.
Mukherjee also alleged that the CPI(M) had its role in the fire disaster in AMRI Hospital and said that the main opposition party was trying to stall development activities initiated by the Mamata Banerjee government.
