CPI(M)-Congress stages protest, walkout over cut money issue

The MLAs of Congress and CPI(M) Monday staged a walkout from the West Bengal assembly protesting against the ongoing "cut money scam" and demanded inquiry into the incident.

Shouting slogans against the Trinamool Congress government over the cut money issue, legislators of both the parties came down to the well and demanded that the government set up an inquiry commission to look into the issue.

Seeking an explanation from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on the matter and return of the cut money, the MLAs staged a walkout from the House.

"We demand setting up of an inquiry commission to look into this issue of cut money. We want to know who has taken the money," Congress chief whip Manoj Chakraborty told reporters outside the House.

The opposition MLAs were carrying posters and placards bearing 'Cut Money means Chief Minister".

After protesting outside the assembly for sometime, they re-entered the House and participated in the proceedings.

Reacting to the protest, Parliamentary Affairs Minister and senior TMC leader Partha Chatterjee said the opposition is not interested in smooth functioning of the house.

TMC leaders at the municipal and panchayat levels have been facing public ire in the districts of Birbhum, Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri, Burdwan, Malda, Purulia, Nadia, Kolkata, West Midnapore and Bankura.

TMC Rajya Sabha MP Santanu Sen, too, has recently faced allegations of seeking "cut money" from a realtor in north Kolkata. Sen has denied the accusation as "baseless and politically-motivated" to malign his reputation.

During a recent party meeting, TMC supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had warned leaders that those involved in taking "cut money" from government schemes and other corrupt practices would be put behind the bars.