Left, Cong MLAs walk out of Bengal Assembly over discussion on

The Congress and the Left Front legislators on Tuesday staged a walkout from the West Bengal Assembly after their demand for a discussion over alleged police assault on para-teachers was turned down.

The demand of Left Front legislature party leader Sujan Chakraborty that an adjournment motion be brought in and a discussion held on the matter was rejected by Speaker Biman Banerjee, prompting the Left Front and Congress legislators to walk out after shouting anti-government slogans.

They then staged a protest outside the House.

"There are several issues but the state government neither allows the Opposition to raise nor discuss them. The way the para-teachers were beaten up by the police is not only undemocratic but also inhuman. We condemn it," Chakraborty told reporters.

The Left Front and the Congress legislators, however, joined the House proceedings in the second half.

Para-teachers sitting on a hunger strike in Nadia's Kalyani to press for hike in their salaries were allegedly assaulted by police on August 17.

Ten eminent personalities of the state had written an open letter to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on August 20 over the incident, urging her government to resolve the issue in a democratic manner.