Opposition Left Front, Congress and BJP members today walked out of the West Bengal Assembly in protest against alleged loss of their rights in a parliamentary democracy and attacks on them by the ruling party.
Main opposition Left Front walked out after the Speaker Biman Banerjee rejected an adjournment motion moved by them demanding discussion on the plight of farmers, some of whom, they alleged, were driven to commit suicide.
Questioning the Speaker's impartiality in the House, CPI(M) member Anisur Rahaman said that the Speaker not only rejected their adjournment motion, but also did not allow them to read it.
At this, the LF members trooped to the well and shouted slogans against the Chair, raising a din. They threw papers in air and sat there for some time before staging a walkout.
Earlier on way to the House from the MLA Hostel in the morning, the LF members organised a procession to the state Assembly which was stopped twice by the police.
Later raising a question during 'Zero Hour', Congress leader Manas Bhuniya demanded a ruling by the Speaker on whether opposition parties still enjoyed rights following repeated attacks on them both in and outside the House.
The Speaker assured them that the House gave the opposition members due respect and even included them in different committees.
Unhappy with the reply, the Congress members walked out of the House, with Bhuniya alleging that Congress workers and leaders were forced to join the ruling party or face the consequence.
Ahead of the election of Chairman in the Kharagpur Municipality, Bhuniya said 11 of their elected councillors had been driven out of the town and were continuously under threat.
CLP leader Md Sohrab said that the scene was prevailing in the entire state and that rights of opposition parties had been taken away entirely.
The ruling party with the help of the police and district administration was trying to gag the opposition to establish one-party rule in the state, they alleged.
Lone BJP member Shamik Bhattacharya also walked out of the House, saying violence in Parui, Sattore and other places were continuing despite protest by opposition parties as one.
Bhattacharya said that his party would take up the issue with the Centre.
