BJP walks out of Assembly seeking minister Akhil Giri’s removal, arrest

Outside the House, Suvendu said, “Akhil Giri has attacked the President. The entire country was outraged by this. We demand his dismissal and arrest. We submitted adjournment proposals. But our proposal was rejected by the Speaker. We were not given an opportunity to discuss the matter. This is why we are protesting.”

Amid the protest by BJP, ministers Birbaha Hansda, Chandrima Bhattacharya and other Trinamool Congress women MLAs shouted slogans against BJP accusing the party of showing scant respect to women, tribals and minorities.

BJP MLA Agnimitra Pal said, “The President is our pride. A slur has been used against her. Therefore, we brought the adjournment proposal against Giri.”

Giri, the Minister of State for Correctional Homes, had drawn widespread criticism, including from TMC for making the controversial remark on President Murmu. Giri was present in the House during the pandemonium but did not join his party colleagues when they countered the BJP protest.

With the speaker nor changing his stance the saffron MLAs then staged a walkout.

Adhikari told reporters on the assembly premises, “We demand Giri be sacked immediately and disqualified as MLA for his disparaging comments against a woman, the constitutional head of the country and a tribal. We will continue our protests till our demands are accepted.” To a question he said the BJP will take part in the house proceedings on Tuesday but its protests against Giri will continue.

BJP chief whip Manoj Tigga said “We are also protesting against unfair comments made by Giri against me at a meeting recently and want exemplary action against this man.” Shortly after the BJP walkout, TMC chief whip Nirmal Ghosh said on the floor of the House, “Despite the CM (Mamata Banerjee) and the party already denouncing the comments of Giri in public, the BJP unfortunately wants to disrupt proceedings of the House as it does not want the issues faced by the people to be discussed in it. We condemn this behaviour.” He said action should be taken against Adhikari for his abusive comments against TMC tribal woman MLA and minister Birbaha Hansda.

To this, the speaker said that as he did not allow discussion on Giri’s comments as it was uttered outside the House, so would be the case when anyone else did so. No comments made by either side would be recorded, he said and adjourned the house till Tuesday 11 am.

Later, state Industries Minister Sashi Panja said that the BJP always believed in the politics of disruption.

“Today everyone saw how they created a commotion in the house. They are trying to flag an issue which has already been commented upon by the CM and party (TMC).” Before the adjournment, Kolkata Municipal Corporation (Amendment Bill 2022) was passed by voice vote by ruling party members.

After a video clip of his comments went viral, Giri had apologised for making such a remark. Even Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has apologised for his statement.

—With PTI inputs