Speaker swears in MLAs. Can’t work for a party, says CM amid guv stand-off
Times of India | 24 July 2024
Kolkata: “Stay in line, not out of line. You cannot work for any political party,” CM Mamata Banerjee said in the Bengal assembly on Tuesday, without naming governor CV Ananda Bose.
Her remark came in the backdrop of the governor’s letter to MLAs Sayantika Banerjee and Reyat Hossain Sarkar stating they could be fined Rs 500 under Article 193 every day they attended the assembly.“It is strange, instead of welcoming them, the new members are being penalised,” the CM said, asking if the governor needed the amount for jalpaan (refreshments).
Banerjee broke her silence on the oath-taking stand-off on a day the governor met Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar in Delhi. Raj Bhavan had earlier in the day released a press note detailing the constitutional provisions on oath-taking by an elected member under Article 188 as well as penalties under Article 193.
The assembly session also saw the swearing-in of Mukut Mani Adhikari, Krishna Kalyani, Supti Pandey and Madhuparna Thakur. Speaker Biman Banerjee administered the oaths in the presence of CM Banerjee. Raiganj MLA Kalyani went first. He was followed by Adhikari of Ranaghat South and Thakur of Bagda, both of whom took oath in the names of Harichand and Guruchand Thakur. Maniktala MLA Pandey — the youngest legislator in the assembly — touched the CM’s feet after being sworn in.
BJP MLAs, who argued that the procedure did not adhere to constitutional guidelines, skipped the session. CM Banerjee refuted their claim. She read aloud the constitutional provisions related to oath-taking in the assembly, adding that this would set a precedent for India and Bengal.
In her address, Banerjee ridiculed the governor’s letter, questioning the legitimacy of imposing a fine based on what she called an outdated British law. “This is a court of the people, a court of democracy. The swearing-in of these MLAs by the speaker was unanimously agreed upon. If anyone had objections, they should have been present in the assembly to voice them,” she said. The CM reiterated that it was practice for ministers to be sworn in at Raj Bhavan, while MLAs typically took oath in the assembly — a tradition upheld by the speaker’s actions.
The session also saw the Trinamool parliamentary party submit a censure motion regarding NEET under Section 169, presented by Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay.