Uproar in Bengal Assembly, Congress, Trinamool walk out

After the Question Hour, Halim asked Congress Legislature Party leader Manas Bhuinya to make his obituary reference. Bhuinya demanded Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee’s statement on steps taken to punish the guilty police officers and CPI(M) activists and called upon members to observe a two-minute silence. When the Speaker turned down the request, the Congress members also walked out. Halim later told the House there was no practice in the Assembly to pay homage to victims of clashes.

Later in the day, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee lashed out at the Congress for announcing its decision to support CPI(M) candidate A S Malihabadi on the day. “Why did they have to announce the decision today?” asked Mamata. “March 14 is a very sad day for all of us. The Congress may have the compulsion to support the CPI(M)-backed candidate, but it would have been better if they avoided this day.”