Kolkata, 20 July (H.S.): In a rare display of political civility in the West Bengal Assembly, senior Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA Madan Mitra on Monday praised Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari for tabling the long-awaited report of the Justice (Retd.) Sushanta Chatterjee Commission on the July 21, 1993 police firing incident.

Speaking in the Assembly after the report was tabled, the Kamarhati MLA thanked the Chief Minister for bringing what he described as a long-suppressed issue back into the public domain.

Before beginning his speech, Mitra made a light-hearted remark, saying some members may have thought he would not be allowed to speak because of the colour of his attire, prompting laughter in the House.

He then congratulated the Chief Minister, saying, First of all, I sincerely thank you. You are truly a worthy Adhikari. This House will remain grateful for your initiative. He said the government's decision to present the commission's findings had revived an issue that had remained buried for years and deserved public attention.

While appreciating the move, Mitra also raised several questions regarding the handling of the commission's findings. Referring to the earlier Chatterjee Commission, he asked why its report had not been made public for so long and said the people of West Bengal deserved an explanation.

The veteran TMC legislator also urged the government to issue a White Paper on the matter to ensure greater transparency. In addition, he suggested that the government publish a public notice inviting citizens to come forward with any information or evidence related to the incident, expressing confidence that such material would be examined fairly by the authorities.

Concluding his remarks, Mitra said he hoped the incident would finally receive an impartial and comprehensive investigation. He noted that he had also deposed as a witness in connection with the case but had never been informed about the outcome of his testimony or the status of the proceedings.

The exchange marked an unusual moment of bipartisan appreciation in the Assembly, with an opposition legislator publicly commending the Chief Minister while simultaneously calling for greater transparency and accountability in the handling of the 1993 case.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh