Speaker reaches out to minister over muted mic during speech
Times of India | 8 February 2026
Kolkata: Bengal assembly speaker Biman Banerjee on Saturday reached out to state parliamentary affairs minister Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay over muting his microphone before he could complete his two-minute speech.
The issue surfaced when Trinamool formally moved a breach of privilege motion against BJP legislator Agnimitra Paul for her "criminals produced in madrassas" comment in the assembly a day before. Paul was censored for her comment and her remarks were expunged from the proceedings.
When TMC moved the motion against Paul, BJP legislators staged a walkout. The speaker said he would announce his decision on the notice later.
As Chattopadhyay rose to speak on the privilege notice, he found his mike muted. When state minister Aroop Biswas requested Banerjee to allocate time to Chattopadhyay, the speaker responded: "You cannot pressure me", adding that if his name had been on the list earlier, he would have been given time. This did not go down well with Chattopadhyay, among TMC's most veteran legislators.
After the first half of the session ended, Banerjee visited the parliamentary minister's office chambers, in an unusual break of protocol. However, both refused to comment on the matter.