Speaker bars members from raising slogans, protesting without permission in Assembly

In an order on December 1, the Speaker stated, “Members cannot shout slogans, stage dharna or make any demonstration, procession, etc. within the Assembly House precincts without obtaining specific permission from the Speaker. A member may remain in the precincts of the House for a reasonable time but not for an indefinite period after the House has been adjourned for the day. If a member desires to remain beyond the working hours of the day, he/she has to seek specific permission of the Speaker stating the reason. However, such a permission given to a member may be withdrawn at any time considering the gravity of the situation.”

Speaking to The Indian Express on Wednesday, Banerjee said, “Whatever I ordered was to maintain discipline and the sanctity of the House. For the same reason, I controlled the movement of the media. You can see after that, the situation is under control.”

Leader of Opposition in Assembly Suvendu Adhikari said the Speaker’s orders won’t be able to stop the Opposition. “The Speaker forgot that the Assembly is for the Opposition. We are here to protest against the wrongdoings of the government and that will continue. No force can stop us,” said the Nandigram MLA. On November 28, Adhikari was suspended for the entire winter session from the Assembly for allegedly making objectionable remarks against Speaker Banerjee.

BJP MLA Agnimitra Paul said, “We are the Opposition and people expect us to raise our voice against corrupt practices of the government and that will continue.”

On Wednesday too, BJP MLAs protested outside the House against the TMC-led government. The legislators stopped protesting after the guards on duty tried to stop them.

The ruling TMC defended the move and said the Speaker took the decision to “maintain the sanctity of the House”.

State Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sovandev Chattopadhyay said, “The Speaker is the highest chair of the Assembly. He can do anything to maintain the sanctity of this House and we are not going to oppose it.”

Since November 28, the TMC and the BJP have been taking on each other in the House and outside, beating thalis (steel plates), blowing whistles and raising slogans and counter-slogans. The winter session started on November 27.

The face-off between the two parties continued unabated as Union Home Minister Amit Shah slammed the TMC at his party’s mega rally in Kolkata.

The confrontational and competitive protests — with TMC MLAs sitting in front of B R Ambedkar’s statue in front of the Assembly since November 28 and the BJP legislators on the staircase under its portico from the same day raised an almighty din.

While the TMC MLAs were staging a dharna for the alleged non-payment of dues to the state by the Centre, the BJP was protesting against the corruption allegations against the state government.

The fight between the BJP and the TMC inside the House intensified on December 1 when BJP MLAs, including LoP Adhikari, reached the Ambedkar statue with gangajal in a kalash (pot) and gamchha (cotton towel) on their heads, to “purify” the statue, claiming that “thieves” had desecrated by sitting under it.

Adhikari later said, “The chief minister and others who were sitting at the statue are thieves, who tarnished the image of democracy and the Father of our Constitution, B R Ambedkar. So, we cleaned the area as per Hindu Sanatan Dharma norms.”

After that, TMC filed an FIR against 20 BJP MLAs for allegedly insulting the National Anthem during the protest.