Have urged Governor to refrain from interfering in Assembly-related matters: Bengal speaker

West Bengal Assembly Speaker Biman Bandyopadhyay on Monday said he has urged Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar to refrain from "interfering" in matters of the legislature. Bandyopadhyay, when asked about Dhankhar's letter flagging the row over appointment of Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman, told reporters on Assembly premises that he has requested the governor to "not take any step that lowers the sanctity of the legislature".

A BJP delegation had met Dhankhar in July seeking his intervention in the appointment of TMC leader Mukul Roy as PAC chairman, which the saffron party pointed out was "in a departure from the norm", following which the governor shot off a letter expressing concern over the matter.

Roy, who had won assembly polls on a BJP ticket, crossed over to the ruling TMC shortly after the election results were declared. He, however, hasn't quit as MLA, despite being told to do by the saffron camp.


Bandyopadhyay, who attended a programme in the Assembly during the day, said, "I have requested him (governor) not to send letters that lower the sanctity of the legislative assembly. I urged him not to interfere in the affairs related to the legislature."

Expressing hope the governor "will exercise restraint" on such issues in future, the speaker said, "This is necessary to keep his stature and the glory of state assembly intact."

Earlier this year, Bandopadhyay had complained to his Lok Sabha counterpart Om Birla about the "excessive interference" of Dhankhar in matters related to parliamentary democracy.

To another question regarding the "objectionable" remarks made against him by opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari during the brief budget session in July, which were expunged later, Bandyopadhyay said the privileges committee, chaired by the deputy speaker, will examine the issue and whatever decision he takes will communicated to the House.