Congress-Left stage protest, hold mock Bengal assembly

Protesting the alleged attack on Leader of Opposition Abdul Mannan and other members, the Congress and Left Front lawmakers on Friday boycotted the budget presentation and held a mock West Bengal assembly session in its premises.

They also staged a series of demonstrations inside and outside the assembly building, railing against the "undemocratic conduct" of the Trinamool Congress government and accused it of efforts to "muzzle the voice of the Opposition".

As Finance Minister Amit Mitra placed the state Budget in the house, the LF and Congress members assembled under the open skies in the assembly compound and began a mock session where an "alternative budget" was presented.

The LF constituent Revolutionary Socialist Party legislator Biswanath Chowdhury took on the role of the Speaker, while Congress' Sukhabilas Burma began a "budget" speech donning the mantle of the Finance Minister.

Some other members played the role of the Chief Minister and other ministers, while others took the Opposition benches.

"This is our token protest. Inside, they are uttering a pack of untruths in the budget," said LF Legislature Party leader Sujon Chakraborty.

The women's and students' wings of the Congress held noisy protests outside the gates and jostled with the police.

Twenty members of the Mahila Congress were arrested.

State Congress President Adhir Chowdhury then led a sit-in at the main gate of the assembly, with the LF members also joining in.

"We would not attend the budget presentation as it is a hoax. There is no justification of attending after the kind of fascist attack the opposition parties in the state faced," Chowdhury said referring to the forcible removal of Mannan from the assembly on Wednesday.

"We will prove that their budget is nothing but an eyewash, by conducting a mock parliament session in the Vidhan Sabha today," he said.

Taking a swipe at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her stress on preserving the democratic environment inside the assembly, Chowdhury said advises on parliamentary etiquette do not go with her past behaviour.

"Our Chief Minister talking about parliamentary etiquette is similar to a thief talking about religion. She is same person who threw her shawl at the Lok Sabha Speaker inside Parliament."

Mannan was suspended by Speaker Biman Banejee for two days on Wednesday as he refused to heed his directive and instead trooped to the well of the House.

The Speaker called in the marshal and other security men to remove the Congress legislator, but Mannan resisted with the other Congress members joining him.

The veteran leader fell ill during the scuffle and had to be hospitalised. He underwent a pacemaker implant on Friday.

--IANS

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