Bengal LoP Suvendu Adhikari suspended for winter session of assembly

KOLKATA: Senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari was on Tuesday suspended for the entire winter session of the West Bengal Assembly for making "objectionable remarks" against Speaker Biman Banerjee.

The suspension happened during a discussion on 'Constitution Day' in the State assembly.

A resolution under Rule 169 was tabled in the assembly to discuss "how the Constitution of the country was under threat".

During the discussion, BJP MLA Sankar Ghosh wondered how MLAs who defected from the BJP were still holding onto their posts without resigning as MLAs.

The Speaker issued instructions to expunge the statement from assembly records, following which BJP MLAs led by Adhikari, the Leader of the Opposition, trooped down to the well of the House and raised slogans against Banerjee.

The BJP legislature party dubbed the Speaker's decision as "unconstitutional, "and staged a walk-out from the House.

Later, TMC MLA Tapas Ray brought a motion against Adhikari and demanded his suspension from the House, to which the Speaker agreed.

"Suvendu Adhikari has been suspended for the entire winter session for using objectionable words and gestures towards the Speaker's Chair," State Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sovandeb Chattopadhyay said.

Adhikari, however, said the Speaker and the ruling party are functioning in an unconstitutional manner.

The BJP legislative party is planning to move a 'no confidence motion' against the Speaker during the ongoing session.