Speaker turns down privilege motion notice

West Bengal Assembly Speaker Biman Banerjee today turned down the privilege motion notice moved by CPI(M) MLA Sujan Chakraborty following his arrest along with 20 other Left leaders during their march to Nabanna earlier this week.

"Chakraborty has written to me seeking privilege motion citing police misbehaviour during a rally to Nabanna on March 22 which affected his parliamentary activities. Chakraborty has stated that the House was not communicated about his arrest," Banerjee told the Assembly today.

The Speaker turned down the motion saying that the police had informed him about Chakraborty's arrest and release on the very day and as per the protocol, the House was not informed on the next day nor any bulletin was published in this connection.
 

Chakraborty was present in the first-half of the Assembly session on May 22 but had not informed the chair nor taken "a leave" before leaving the House to participate in a rally, Banerjee said.

The Speaker said the police had informed him that Chakraborty along with 20 other Left leaders had breached the 144 CRPC zone around the state secretariat Nabanna and tried entering the premises despite several requests not to do so following which he was arrested under IPC 188 (for disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant).

Criticising Chakraborty for leaving the House without informing the Speaker as "unexpected and uncalled for from a senior member".

Stating his observation in this connection, the Speaker said that when a session was on, there could not be anything important to a member than that.

"And Chakraborty went to participate in a rally to break the law which is anyway never comes under a member's parliamentary responsibilities," Banerjee observed further warning Charkraborty not to repeat such offence in the future.

A privileged motion is a motion that is granted precedence over ordinary business because it concerns matters of great importance or urgency. Such motions are not debatable, although in case of questions of privilege, the chair may feel the need to elicit relevant facts from members.