West Bengal: Suspension of 7 BJP MLAs including Suvendu Adhikari revoked from Assembly

In a key political development from West Bengal, the suspension of seven BJP MLAs, including Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, was revoked on Thursday. Two separate motions for the revocation of suspensions of the legislators were moved before the Assembly Speaker, Biman Bandhopadhyay, which was passed. 

Suspension of 7 West Bengal BJP MLAs revoked

As the second half of the Assembly session commenced, the speaker asked BJP MLA Agnimitra Paul to read out the last two lines of the motion requesting withdrawal of the suspension order against Suvendu Adhikari and four other MLAs -- Manoj Tigga, Narhari Mahato, Mihir Goswami and Shankar Ghosh. Banerjee then consulted parliamentary affairs minister Partha Chatterjee, who also spoke in favour of the suspension withdrawal.

Sikha Chatterjee, another BJP legislator, then read out the second motion in the House, seeking a similar suspension revocation against MLAs Mihir Goswami and Sudip Mukhopadhyay. The speaker subsequently agreed to withdraw the suspension order against all seven MLAs.

Earlier last week, Speaker Bandhopadhyay had rejected a motion by the BJP for the revocation of the suspension, citing some technical errors. Bandopadhyay had asked for a fresh motion to be moved, sans the technical errors.

7 BJP MLAs suspended for the session this year  

Clashes broke out in the Assembly on March 28 between the legislators of the ruling TMC and BJP, following which, the Speaker suspended the five MLAs. Adhikari, along with BJP legislators Dipak Burman, Shankar Ghosh, Manoj Tigga and Narahari Mahato for future sessions this year. Earlier, two other saffron camp MLAs- Mihir Goswami and Sudip Mukhopadhyay- were suspended over their conduct during the Governor’s address in the House. 

(With agency inputs)