Kolkata, 2 September (H.S.):

The West Bengal Assembly witnessed uproar on Tuesday after Education Minister Bratya Basu made controversial remarks about the Indian Army, sparking strong protests from the opposition. Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari led the agitation, resulting in his suspension for the remainder of the session.

The controversy stemmed from an incident on Monday at Gandhi Statue in Dharmatala, where the Army dismantled a protest stage erected by the Trinamool Congress (TMC). Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had accused the BJP of misusing the Army for political purposes, calling the move “politically motivated.”

Referring to the incident in the Assembly, Basu said, “When the Army dismantled our protest stage, it reminded me of the Pakistani Army’s firing in Dhaka in 1971.” He further alleged that the Army acted under political pressure.

The statement infuriated the BJP benches. Adhikari accused Basu of insulting the Army and raised slogans in protest. Other BJP legislators joined him, leading to chaos in the House.

Amid the uproar, Adhikari also charged Basu with misquoting former RSS chief M.S. Golwalkar. Basu had claimed that both Golwalkar and former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru supported the idea of states being reorganized on linguistic lines, albeit with differing perspectives. Adhikari challenged him to provide documentary proof before the Assembly Secretariat. Basu responded that he would furnish the evidence.

As the pandemonium persisted, Speaker Biman Banerjee ordered Adhikari’s suspension for the entire session. In protest, BJP legislators staged a walkout from the House.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh