Left parties, TC members clash in LS

NEW DELHI, JULY 28: Trinamool Congress has launched a scathing attack on West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu, saying he was "unfit&...

NEW DELHI, JULY 28: Trinamool Congress has launched a scathing attack on West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu, saying he was "unfit" to rule and sought imposition of President’s Rule claiming that law and order had "completely collapsed" in the state.

Party MPs, who staged a sit-in outside the Parliament House this morning, urged Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee to intervene as "parliamentary democracy was under severe threat" and there was a "constitutional breakdown" in the state.

Trinamool leader and Minister of State for External Affairs Ajit Panja told newsmen that Basu "is unfit to rule. When people are dying, Nero fiddles. Can you rely on such a chief minister?"

Story continues below this ad

Members of Left parties and Trinamool Congress also clashed in the Lok Sabha accusing each other of indulging in violence in West Bengal and the latter demanding imposition of President’s Rule in the state.

Heated exchanges between the two groups began when Vajpayee rose to make a statement on the Ram Jethmalani issue and Trinamool Congress members stood up to demand a discussion on Thursday’s clashes in Birbhum district of the state which took a toll of 11 lives.

As both sides, who stood up and traded charges, returned to their benches, Speaker GMC Balayogi began the Zero hour.

As soon as he asked Trinamool Congress MP Sudip Bandopadhyay to make his special mention, the left MPs again stood up demanding that he should not be allowed to make "false statements".

Story continues below this ad

The West Bengal Assembly too witnessed uproarious scenes for the second day today over the massacre with the Opposition Congress, TC and BJP members seeking to stall proceedings and later staging a walkout.

As soon as the House assembled, Congress, TC and BJPmembers, wearing black badges, rushed towards the well demanding a discussion on the incident, which was rejected by Speaker Hashim Abdul Halim.

Incensed by the chair’s refusal, they unfurled blackflags in front of his podium while some opposition members snatched the mace and tried to take it out of the House.

The mace was retrieved by the Assembly watch and wardstaff.

Story continues below this ad

Congress member Dilip Das was seen walking around thewell, dressed in a black tee shirt inscribed with slogans denouncing the killing and demanding resignation of Home (police) Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharjee.

Meanwhile, some members, led by TC’s SovandevChattopadhyay, stood in front of the Assembly Secretary’s table and shouted slogans demanding resignation of the L F government following the Birbhum killings.

They continued to disturb Tapan Hore (RSP) and HealthMinister Partha Dey throughout the question-answer session. At one point, they snatched Assembly proceeding documents from Hore and some LF MLAs, tore the papers and strewed them into the well, besides breaking the indicator lamp stands.

Calm was restored after the Opposition, barring SUCI andGNLF, staged the walkout for the day.