Bengal Assembly Speaker withholds documents for BJP MLAs after chaos erupts over Paper-Tearing Protest

West Bengal Assembly Speaker Biman Bandyopadhyay on Tuesday withheld circulation of proceeding related papers, copies of the bills and other documents related to the BJP legislators from tomorrow, after the BJP MLAs tore proceedings related papers in the House today and threw them in the air. The Speaker also claimed that “this kind of incidents are rare” in the assembly.

Chaos broke out as the BJP MLAs, while staging a walkout today, tore papers and flung them into the air during protests, after Bandopadhyay turned down a proposal by the BJP legislators to adjourn the House over alleged vandalization of temples and idols in various parts of the state.

“They (BJP MLAs) have torn papers and important documents today, including the Standing Committee reports. This is like destroying government property. So, I directed not to provide proceedings related documents to them from tomorrow and henceforth,” the Speaker said.


“They saw that I was on my legs but never stopped. They were ‘brutally’ tearing the government papers. I have decided no papers will be provided to them. I was compelled to make the decision. Bulletin is crucial documents related to the proceedings,” the Speaker elaborated.

The Speaker said it was the responsibility of all to keep respect for the Assembly. “I think this kind of incident has never happened in the Assembly. They did it yesterday and repeated it today as well. I expected restraint today, instead they made certain gestures and tore the papers,” the Speaker alleged.

Speaking on the walkout staged by the BJP legislators, Adhikari said, vandalization was witnessed in various parts of the state in the last few days. “In West Bengal, for the last five days, in Baruipur, Tamluk’s Moyna and Basirhat- Hindu temples and Hindu idols were vandalized. Police remained silent. In Murshidabad’s Nowda, Hindus were selectively chosen and houses were burnt and shops vandalized. Similar incidents happened in Uluberia. Adjournment motion was brought and thus we are conducting protests.”

Adhikari claimed that the police had remained silent spectators in all such cases and not a single arrest had been made.

“We will bring our own paper and tear them apart in protest. This fight against the Speaker’s undemocratic decision will continue,” he declared.

Adhikari also said BJP legislators will hold a bigger protest in front of the assembly on Wednesday.

Adhikari, along with other MLAs, have earlier been suspended from the assembly till March 18 for allegedly insulting the chair of the Speaker during the budget session. Dipak Barman was also suspended for one month.