In an embarrassment to Trinamool Congress, party MLA Swapan Kanti Ghosh today staged a sit-in demonstration outside the West Bengal Assembly and levelled corruption charges against TMC-run Suri municipality.
The party suspended Ghosh with immediate effect pending enquiry. Ghosh, who did not attend the assembly during the day, sat on the dharna alleging corruption regarding a drinking water project at Suri in Birbhum district.
He said during the past two-and-half years he had taken up the issue with the party and also written to state Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim and Chief Minister Mamata Baenrjee but "no action was taken".
"I am forced to do a sit-in today due to the neglect and humiliation," he said. Announcing action against the MLA, TMC secretary general and a member of its disciplinary committee Partha Chatterjee announced that Ghosh has been suspended with immediate effect pending enquiry. Ghosh's act was "politically motivated", he said, adding that he resorted it without discussing in the party.
"We know at which party's instigation he has done it". Leader of opposition Surya Kanta Mishra raised the issue in the assembly demanding statement from the government as to why a member of the ruling party is staging demonstration outside the House. He also sought a discussion on the allegation levelled by Ghosh.
Speaker Biman Bandopadhyay told the members that he knew about Ghosh's demonstration and had requested him to come to his chamber but he refused.
Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim told the House that Ghosh had written to the chief minister who had asked him (minister) to enquire into the allegation. Departmental enquiry order was also given, Hakim said, adding that process was already on to start the drinking water project.
There were charges against the MLA which would also be probed, he added. The issue was also raised in the assembly during the 'mention hour' from the opposition bench.
Speaker Biman Banerjee earlier said he too came to know that an aide of Ghosh was distributing leaflets in the assembly premises.
He immediately ordered the Marshall to prevent the man from distributing the leaflets and drive him away since he was not a member of the House.
A member of the House has right to stage demonstration or speak to media within the assembly premises, but not outsiders, he said. Ghosh told a press conference that he had also written to Union Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu about the alleged diversion of Rs 10.36 crore fund for the drinking water project at Suri and requested for the details of the allocation and project.
Once clarification on the project is received from Naidu, Ghosh said he would move the High Court. To a question about suspension, Ghosh said he was "not bothered about it and would have been happy with expulsion." He would go on working for the people in his constituency, who had elected him, Ghosh asserted. When asked if he would join the BJP, Ghosh said he was not thinking about it.
However, he was ready to talk to everybody in the interest of people in his constituency. To another question, Ghosh said that since July 1, 2014, he did not have any contact with the party's All India General Secretary Mukul Roy.
