Heated exchanges between Trinamool, GJM, BJP legislators during polling

Some heated moments were witnessed in the West Bengal Assembly during the Presidential polls on Monday after a ruling Trinamool Congress legislator lashed out at the GJM counterparts for setting Darjeeling "ablaze" and attacked state BJP president Dlip Ghosh for "escorting" them to the house.

Spotting the three Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) legislators in the assembly lobby alongside Ghosh, Trinamool MLA Paresh Pal apparently lost his cool. "After setting Darjeeling hills on fire, you are still chatting?" he angrily told the GJM lawmakers.

Amar Rai, one of the GJM members hit Amar Rai hit back with a challenge to Pal.

"Go and say these words there (the hills)," he said.

At this, Pal said: "I will teach you a lesson", prompting another counter from the GJM legislator.

Pal then vented his ire on Ghosh for ushering them into the assembly.

"Dilip Ghosh does not know any courtesy... he has brought these people, who don't know how to speak decent words, and have poor taste. There people have set the hills aflame.

"We are loyalists of Mamata Banerjee. Otherwise, we would have taught them a lesson."

Pal then went close to Ghosh, pointing a finger at him as he said that it was only only due to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's "magnanimity" that they were still there.

"The indecent way in which you speak, you cannot be the spokesperson of any party."

Ghosh hit back. "Don't show me didi (elder sister, as Banerjee is popularly called)," said the BJP leader, who has time and again in the past hogged the limelight for making controversial comments and only a couple of days back, threatened to torch Banerjee's residence if she dared to take any action against him.

Ghosh later said such kind of attack was unimaginable. "Is the relationship (between legislators of rivals parties) one of quarrel or killings? How can he (Pal) use such language. We have never seen this kind of politics."

"Why do you make friends when you won't be able to continue?" he said, apparently referring toA the good relations he had with Pal in the past.

Rai later called Pal's comments "very childish". "It is our duty also to vote. We have just come to the assembly to cast our votes, and we will be back. Because we know, Darjeeling is burning. We are aware of that. We know our responsibility.

"Because after all, we are colleagues, whether you belong to the BJP, or to the Trinamool or to the Congress, or CPI-M, or GJM. I think we should have mutual respect for each other. There are political differences we have. But I think there is scope to solve these. But shouting and accusing, I don't think that is the solution. This shows their (Trinamool's) mentality."

--IANS

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