West Bengal assembly rocked by BJP walkout over education crisis

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. File Pic.

BJP legislators on Monday staged a walkout from the West Bengal Assembly after Speaker Biman Banerjee refused to admit an adjournment motion brought by the party over the school education system in the state following the cancellation of nearly 26,000 school jobs by the Supreme Court because of irregularities, citing that the matter is sub judice.

Deputy Speaker Ashish Bandopadhyay told PTI that BJP MLA Manoj Oraon was suspended for the day for improper conduct during Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's address.

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Trouble began during Question Hour when CM Banerjee claimed that under her government, employment opportunities had significantly increased compared to the previous regime.

Banerjee alleged that the BJP was targeting Bengali-speaking Indian labourers in states like Gujarat and cities such as Delhi by labelling them as Bangladeshis.
"This party is anti-Bengal. They are victimising our people," Banerjee said, prompting an immediate and loud protest from the opposition benches.
The entire opposition stood up in protest, shouting slogans, forcing the Chief Minister to momentarily pause before continuing.

Banerjee remarked, "The 'godi media' is now being used on social media platforms by the ruling BJP to spread their agenda of falsehood." While the CM was speaking, BJP Falakata MLA Dipak Barman, backed by his party colleagues, sought to move an adjournment motion on the "present state of the education sector in the state, ranging from the SSC recruitment row, protests by jobless teachers, and the indefinite hunger strike by terminated candidates."

Infuriated by the decision, BJP MLAs shouted slogans like "We don't want this anti-people government" and "Corrupt Mamata Banerjee and her cronies, go!" before storming out of the Assembly and assembling within the compound near the main hall.

"All we wanted was a threadbare discussion on the unprecedented crisis in the education sector. So many eligible teachers have been rendered unemployed. They are sitting on the streets because of the corruption and irregularities committed by the ruling party leaders and ministers, some of whom are already in jail," Barman told reporters after the walkout.

"The partisan Speaker does not want any discussion that highlights the plight faced by the architects of the nation. What can be more unfortunate?" he added.
Some BJP MLAs also carried potted Tulsi plants, alleging that a sacred Tulsi Manch had been vandalised during a recent group clash in Maheshtala.

They claimed that a mob damaged the religious spot before the police could intervene.

However, local TMC leaders and a section of residents countered the allegation, claiming that the Tulsi Manch was planted overnight by a group at a site usually occupied by a fruit vendor, who had gone to his hometown for Eid, leaving the spot vacant.

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