BJP MLAs raise hue and cry, stage walkout on liquor tax cut

Party's Asansol South MLA Agnimitra Paul, who tried moving the motion, asked why there isn’t a ban on liquor in the state

Representational image.

Arkamoy Datta Majumdar   |   TT  |  Calcutta   |  18.11.21: BJP MLAs walked out of the Bengal Assembly on Wednesday, after Speaker Biman Banerjee refused to admit an adjournment motion introduced by three of its members demanding answers on a slash in liquor tax in the state, even as the Mamata Banerjee government refuses to reduce the state tax components on petrol and diesel.

BJP’s Asansol South MLA Agnimitra Paul, who tried moving the motion, asked why there isn’t a ban of liquor in the state. “In states like Gujarat and Bihar (both BJP ruled) liquor is banned, yet they are developing.… Why can’t they ban liquor in Bengal?” asked Paul later.

The saffron camp, in keeping with its divisive agenda, alleged that the reserved jobs for people of the OBC category were being given to people of a certain community, ignoring Hindu OBCs. Also part of the adjournment motion were the alleged breakdown of law and order and the lack of job opportunities in Bengal.

Speaker Banerjee allowed the BJP MLAs to read out the motion in the House but he refused to admit it and hence it wasn’t tabled for voting. The BJP’s Nandigram MLA Suvendu Adhikari accused the treasury benches of trying to silence  the Opposition. “The House belongs to the Opposition, to the people. We are representatives of the people... The government is trying to si¬lence us because they are over 200 in number (effectively, 223 in the 294seat House).”

BJP MLAs demonstrated in the well of the House for 10 minutes and staged a walkout.

BJP chief state spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said later that they would hold protest events between November 18 and 24 in the state, demanding cut in state taxes on petrol and diesel.

Deputy Chief Government Whip Tapas Roy brought a privilege motion against an official each of the CBI and the ED.

Satyendra Singh, a deputy superintendent in the CBI, and Rathin Biswas, an assistant director in the ED, have been accused of arresting two ministers and an MLA in the Narada “sting” operation case and filing a chargesheet against members of the House, respectively, without seeking permission from the Speaker. Roy alleged that these actions of the central agencies were a breach of privilege of the House.

The motion was admitted and passed in the House. It has been sent to the privilege committee, which will investigate the matter.

Speaker Banerjee had earlier summoned the two officials. The duo had moved court against the Speaker’s summons, following which the court directed them to meet Banerjee. Eventually, although both Singh and Biswas met the Speaker, neither could satisfy him with their answers.

Suvendu said he wouldn’t comment on the privilege motion at the moment, but asserted that the BJP members of the privilege committee would oppose it.

BJP national vice president Dilip Ghosh visited the Assembly and met his party’s MLAs, along with Suvendu.

Ghosh then met senior ministers Firhad Hakim, Moloy Ghatak and Aroop Biswas.

“I came to exchange greetings with everyone in the Assembly… I also spoke to Moloy Ghatak for the repair and expansion of a bridge over the Kangsabati in my parliamentary constituency. I asked him to write to the Centre about it,” said Ghosh, also the Midnapore MP.