BJP and CPI(M) target West Bengal government in Lok Sabha

NEW DELHI: The Trinamool Congress-ruled West Bengal government today came under attack from Left and Right in the Lok Sabha after a BJP member raised certain issues related to law and order in the state, triggering a verbal clash.

S S Ahluwalia, member from Darjeeling in West Bengal, raised the issue during the zero hour alleging that the law and order situation was such that rapes were taking place in the state.

Even while Trinamool members protested, he said the state government should be sensitive to such incidents particularly since the Chief Minister herself is a woman.

Ahluwalia also talked about certain other developments which were expunged by Deputy Speaker M Thambidurai, who said issues related to a state cannot be raised in the House except for the part related to women's issue.

Interestingly, the BJP member got support from CPI(M)'s Mohd Saleem who also made certain remarks over the law and order situation in West Bengal. Thambidurai again said these comments will not go into record.

The comments by Ahluwalia and Saleem triggered a clash with members of BJP and Left on one side and Trinamool on the other.

Trinamool leader Saugata Roy said Ahluwalia may be agrieved by police action on BJP leaders and workers in West Bengal yesterday but such actions take place "all the time" in all the 29 states.

He said, however, that the issue cannot be raised in the House as law and order is a state subject.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Rajiv Pratap Rudy agreed that law and order is a state subject but said if the "freedom to protest" as happened in West Bengal is "impinged", the matter can be raised in Parliament since it relates to the Constitution.

After a brief verbal clash, normalcy was restored.