‘Violation of Constitution’: Bengal Governor Over Trinamool MLA’s Oath

New Delhi: West Bengal Assembly Speaker Biman Banerjee administered the oath of office to two newly elected Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLAs on Friday, defying Governor CV Ananda Bose's directives. This action has sparked sharp criticism and accusations of constitutional violation from Raj Bhavan.

The sequence of events began with MLAs Rayat Hossain Sarkar from Bhagwangola and Sayantika Bandopadhyay from Baranagar, who had been staging a protest since yesterday due to a standoff between Raj Bhavan and the Assembly regarding the venue for their oath-taking ceremony.

Initially, Governor CV Ananda Bose had authorized Deputy Speaker Asish Banerjee to administer the oath to the MLAs within the Assembly premises during a special one-day session. However, in a surprising turn, Deputy Speaker Asish Banerjee declined to conduct the oath, citing the presence of Speaker Biman Banerjee as inappropriate for such a duty.

Responding to the Deputy Speaker's refusal, Speaker Biman Banerjee took matters into his own hands and administered the oath to the protesting MLAs during the Assembly session. This unilateral action by the Speaker directly contradicted the Governor's instructions, prompting immediate condemnation from Raj Bhavan.

In a strongly worded statement to the press, a Raj Bhavan official emphasized the constitutional impropriety of the Speaker's actions, stating that it is fundamental that the Constitution takes precedence over any procedural rules of the Assembly.

"It is elementary knowledge that the Constitution supersedes any assembly rule," a Raj Bhavan statement read.

Governor CV Ananda Bose further escalated the matter by writing a letter to President Droupadi Murmu, formally protesting the Speaker's defiance and labeling it a blatant violation of constitutional norms. The Governor expressed disappointment over the delay caused by the protests, pointing out that the issue could have been resolved earlier had the Speaker adhered to the Governor's initial directive.

In response to the unfolding controversy, MLA Sayantika Banerjee expressed frustration over the delay and criticized the Governor for wasting the time of the two elected representatives. Despite the tumultuous circumstances surrounding their oath-taking, she affirmed their commitment to serving the people diligently during their remaining term.