West Bengal: BJP MLAs Stage Walkout From Assembly Amid Land Rights Dispute For Tea Garden Workers

In Kolkata, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) staged a walkout from the state Legislative Assembly on Friday after Speaker Biman Bandyopadhyay denied their demand for a discussion on the land rights of tea garden workers.

During the Zero hour, the Speaker did not permit the adjournment motion by the saffron camp MLAs but allowed them to read out the text of the motion in the House.

Following the reading of the motion, BJP MLAs displayed placards and raised slogans, insisting on a discussion about the issue. The legislators alleged that the state government is withholding land rights from tea garden workers before staging a walkout from the House.

Meanwhile, State Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay, along with Chief Whip in the Assembly, Nirmal Ghosh, moved a privilege motion against six BJP MLAs. The motion accused them of insulting the 'state song' on Thursday during the budget presentation.

The six BJP MLAs involved in the privilege motion are Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly Suvendu Adhikari, along with Agnimitra Paul, Shikha Chattopadhyay, Tapasi Mondal, Mihir Goswami, and Bankim Ghosh.

"Several privilege motions are brought against me, but that didn’t stop BJP from raising issues that are of public interest inside the House," said Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari.