Bengal LoP Suvendu Adhikari suspended till Sept 4 for disrupting House proceedings

Kolkata: Leader of Opposition in Bengal assembly Suvendu Adhikari was suspended by Speaker Biman Bandopadhyay till September 4, for the rest of the days of the Special Session, for allegedly “disrupting proceedings” as discussion on the resolution condemning the atrocities on Bengali migrants was being undertaken on Tuesday.

A major ruckus broke out in Bengal assembly as ruling Trinamool Congress minister Bratya Basu drew parallel between torture by Pakistani army in1971 with yesterday's incident when Indian Army dismantled Trinamool protest stage.
Adhikari interrupted Basu for his alleged defamatory’ remarks about the Indian Army. The BJP MLAs and LoP shouted slogans against the Trinamool government and LoP demanded that Basu’s comments be expunged from the proceedings. However, the request denied by the Speaker.
The Speaker suspended Adhikari for the rest of the days of the Special Session, which will end on September 4.


Adhikari said that he is proud Indian that he has been suspended while speaking for the Indian Army in the assembly.

Calling Bratya Basu “anti-national”, Adhikari said how could Basu make such comments.
Basu, during his speech, also spoke about the rich culture and history of Bengal, partition of Bengal. "There is an attempt to insult the Bengal language." Basu was speaking after a resolution condemning torture on Bengali-speaking migrant workers in BJP-ruled states.

“I was suspended because I protested against Basu’s defamatory comments against the Indian Army. We want those remarks to be expunged,” Adhikari told mediapersons.

“In 1971, Pakistani army was barbaric and inhumane. I have done the rightful thing to speak about it,” Basu said. However, his criticism has drawn flak from people from various walks of lives.

Veteran Educationist Pabitra Sarkar said, “Such an erudite and well-read Education Minister Bratya Basu has made such a comment. It is unfortunate. Not only Bengalis but so many Bengali intellectuals were killed. The comparison between Pak army and army dismantled the stage.”

“The Pak army had killed at least 30 lakh Bengalis were murdered. Are you an agent,” senior Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said.

In 1971, 25 March, Pakistan Army had launched ‘Operation Searchlight’ where helpless Bengalis were tortured and murdered. According to Bengali daily’s edition om that day at least three to 30 lakhs Bengalis were murdered and at least 10 lakh Bengalis were uprooted from the homes and two lakh Bengali women were raped. Operation Searchlight was a military operation by the Pakistan Army to curb the Bengali nationalist movement in former East Pakistan in March 1971.