CM Mamata Banerjee Slams BJP for Ruckus During West Bengal Assembly Session

Chaos reigned in the West Bengal Assembly on Monday as BJP MLAs protested on the first day of the budget session.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee

(Photo: PTI)

A day after chaos reigned in West Bengal Assembly due to BJP MLAs protesting during the first day of the budget session on Monday, 7 March, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Tuesday that BJP is a dangabaaz (rioter) and a corrupted party, reported ANI.

She said:

"BJP is the dangabaaz and a corrupted party... they want to destroy democracy...thanks to women MLAs of TMC (Trinamool Congress) for saving democracy in Vidhan Sabha yesterday (Monday)."

She added that BJP is in power at Centre for a lack of alternative force and must be replaced, according to a report by PTI.

BJP Protest 'Pre-Planned': CM Banerjee

BJP MLAs on Monday staged a protest in the Assembly alleging violence in the recent civic polls, leading to Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar tabling his inaugural speech instead of delivering it.

Photos of the incident showed the governor pleading with the MLAs, who had surrounded the speaker’s podium in protest, to allow the proceedings to begin.

Banerjee had met Dhankhar on Monday at Raj Bhavan and claimed that the protest may be “pre-planned.”

“What BJP did today in the assembly is a shame for democracy. It is unprecedented. The saffron party wanted to create a constitutional crisis. We requested the governor to read at least one line from his speech and table it in the House. He kept our request. We are thankful to him,” reported PTI, quoting Banerjee.

BJP Leader Joyprakash Majumdar Switches Sides

Suspended West Bengal BJP leader Joyprakash Majumder on Tuesday jumped ship to the TMC in Kolkata and was inducted as a vice-president of party's state unit. Earlier on Tuesday, Mamata Banerjee rejigged the state committee in a meeting at Nazrul Macha in Kolkata.

The BJP unit in the state had, in January, suspended Majumder and Ritesh Tiwary, two of their former vice-presidents, a day after issuing a show cause notice to the leaders.

While addressing the state committee meeting, Banerjee said,

“We have to be active... we have to give a call for 2024 general elections to remove BJP.”

Political strategist Prashant Kishor was also present in Mamata's extended state committee meeting.

(With reports from PTI, ANI)