TMC, BJP leaders sit in protest against each other outside Bengal Assembly

Thali-beats, whistle-blows, and rattle-clatter blended with slogans and shouts were witnessed as a section of Bengal’s MLAs representing the two leading political opponents – the Trinamool, and the BJP – sat on dharna several metres apart, on Thursday, in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly precincts.

The two political frontiers have continued their clash unabated, sharper and intense, a day after senior BJP leader Amit Shah slammed the ruling Trinamool in his party’s mega-rally in the heart of Kolkata while being countered with all the might by the Trinamool.

The confrontational and competitive protests – with the Trinamool MLAs sitting in front of B R Ambedkar’s statue, and the BJP legislators on the staircase under the portico of the assembly building – took a noisy turn.

TMC leaders including minister Firhad Hakim protest against BJp at the Centre outside Bengal Assembly.

Senior police officers and personnel, and the assembly’s staff, maintained a calm watch, as the chaos gained decibels.

The ruling party was holding dharna on the third and final day of its planned protests. A day earlier, on Wednesday, a verbal duel had ensued between the two groups while raising slogans at the respective opponents.

The BJP MLAs had, allegedly, continued raising slogans on Wednesday, when the Trinamool leaders had stood up for singing the national anthem. Following a complaint against the BJP MLAs, alleging insults to national honour during Trinamool’s programme in the assembly precincts, a case has been indexed at the local police station.

Suvendu Adhikari, BJP MLA and leader of the Opposition in the state assembly, said that the programme (by Trinamool) was not a government event, and no appeal was made over the microphone, and there was a distance of 40- to 50-feet between the two groups. “Had they appealed over the mike, and had we breached (rules) we would have said sorry…,” he said.

“We are going for the quashing, to the High Court,” Adhikari said, terming the action as an “illegal FIR”. “It is illegal, and politically motivated. As per the direction of the police minister they did it. We are challenging this FIR. Our BJP MLAs will go to Calcutta High Court for quashing,” he said. He added that he will also move to court as his earlier complaint filed against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has not been admitted by police as an FIR.

Close to 5 pm on Thursday, the Trinamool MLAs again sang the National Anthem concluding their dharna, while the BJP MLAs were at their distant spot. “Yesterday they (had) insulted, today, also. After the announcement, all the press people (reporters, camerapersons) stood up for the national anthem,” Trinamool leader Firhad Hakim said, alleging that the BJP MLAs continued to show disrespect on Thursday as well. “I condemn that,” he said.