Chaos in West Bengal Assembly over absence of ministers, oppn

Congress and CPI(M) MLAs staged a walkout in the West Bengal Assembly on Tuesday after TMC's Tapas Roy dissed opposition legislators who were protesting over the absence of ministers in the House.

As proceedings of the House began for the second half at 1.30 pm, around 40 CPI(M) and Congress MLAs raised a storm, asking why no minister was present.

Roy, who is the minister of state for parliamentary affairs, entered the House talking on his mobile phone amid the furore.

As the protesting MLAs asked him the reason behind his delay in coming to the House, a feisty Roy said, "What is the fuss all about?"
Following this, the Congress and CPI(M) MLAs demanded the minister's apology, even as he refused, with speaker Biman Bandyopadhyay saying, "What has happened is not appropriate."