TMC MPs protested to the Speaker that BJP legislators raised chants while the ruling party's legislators sang the national anthem...
Digital Desk: Only 48 hours after Amit Shah's rally inaugurated the BJP's campaign in West Bengal for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, 12 of the saffron party's MLAs were arrested for allegedly "insulting" the national anthem on the state Assembly grounds.
The FIR was filed at the Hare Street Police Station after the Secretary of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly filed a complaint, which highlighted letters addressed to the Speaker by TMC MLAs Sovandeb Chattopadhyay, Chandrima Bhattacharya, and Tapas Ray. The BJP has called the FIR illegal and has stated that it will file an appeal in court on Monday.
The line-up of events began on Wednesday afternoon when Trinamool Congress MLAs protested near the statue of BR Ambedkar within the Assembly premises over the non-payment of central dues to the state government under various centrally sponsored schemes, led by party supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
LoP Suvendhu Adhikary passed by the TMC protest and shouted "chor, chor" as the protest concluded. On Thursday, he reportedly joined BJP MLAs in a counter-protest with similar slogans, the first time such scenes were witnessed on West Bengal Assembly premises.
TMC MPs protested to Speaker Biman Bandopadhyay that BJP legislators raised chants while the ruling party's legislators sang the national anthem.
The BJP MLAs Sankar Ghosh, Manoj Tigga, Sudip Kumar Mukherjee, Malati Reva Roy, Chandrani Barui, Niladri Sekhar Dana, Mihir Goswami, Manoj Kumar Oraon, Suman Kanjilal, Dipak Barman, and Hiranmoy Chattopadhyay were later charged.
Suvendu Adhikari was mentioned in the accompanying letter but not in the official FIR. "During the incident, BJP MLAs blocked the South Portico gate and incited and provoked a breach of peace at the mentioned location. The case is currently being investigated," according to the case summary.
According to TMC officials, the party will make a significant push on the issue in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections next year.
LoP Suvendhu Adhikary retaliated against the TMC, citing News 18. "We are disregarding this FIR. They filed this FIR illegally. Police and ministers have abused their positions of authority. We'll go to court on Monday to get it tossed out."
According to sources, the case may be turned over to the Kolkata Police Detective Department, and the BJP MLAs could be interrogated.
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