The first day of State Assembly session which ended with obituary references today is likely to be a stormy one with the Opposition training its guns on Speaker, Biman Banerjee for running the House in a “wilful manner” and planning to move a no-confidence motion against the Speaker.
The state finance minister, Amit Mitra is also likely to come in for criticism for allegedly meeting PNB scam accused, Mehul Choksey in Mumbai, leader of the Left Front Legislature Party, Sujan Chakraborty said during the day. The ire of the Opposition who are planning to move a no-confidence motion against the Speaker was fuelled during the day after the former alleged they were unable to attend the business advisory committee during the day owing to the short notice given for it by Mr Banerjee.
The matter came up during the session when leader of the Opposition, Abdul Mannan alleged the MLAs not belonging to the ruling party were being kept in the dark about the functioning of the House as business advisory committee meeting were part and parcel of its business. “You had been sent notices,” the Speaker replied. The schedule of the meeting has to be changed to accomodate a minister, a courtesy which had also been extended to Opposition members, he further said. I expect you to come to the meeting, the Speaker told the leader of the Opposition.
But you did not come, he added. The war of words continued with leader of the Oppostion, Mannan and leader of Left Front Legislature Party, Sujan Chakraborty together accusing the Speaker of not using his extraordinary powers to strengthen the legislature. The voice of the Opposition is being sought to be stifled by making sudden changes in the schedule of the House, Chakraborty said.
Chief minister, Mamata Banerjee should treat the Nirav Modi issue carefully, Chakraborty said. We will raise the issue of state finance minister being photographed with a PNB scam accused, he said. The picture which the Opposition is harping on is a photograph clicked at a function of a chamber of commernce and has no connection with the controversial issue (PNB scam), state parliamentary affairs minister, Partha Chatterjee said.
The Opposition is making a hue and cry about it without going into it deeply, he said. Earlier, the leader of the Opposition, said Parliaments and Legislative Assemblies function on conventions all over the world. But the present dispensation in the state is not going by it, he added.