Bengal Speaker terms LoP-Trinamool MLA spat 'totally unwarranted', urges members to maintain decorum

Kolkata, July 25 (IANS) West Bengal Assembly Speaker Biman Bandopadhyay on Thursday termed as "totally unwarranted" the verbal spat between the Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari and Trinamool Congress legislator Tapan Chatterjee within the Assembly premises on Wednesday and asked members to ensure such incidents do not recur.  

After the Wednesday incidents, Adhikari sent a letter to the office of the Speaker claiming that Chatterjee, the Trinamool MLA from Purbasthali Uttar, had tried to physically assault him following which he was feeling insecure within the Assembly.

On the other hand, Chatterjee, denying the assault attempt, accused Adhikari of maligning his and his daughter’s image at a public meeting near his residence recently.

On Thursday, the Speaker said that he had received two complaints in the matter and also talked to the Marshal in the matter.

"There can be heated moments within the house. Such things happen in other Assemblies and even in the Lok Sabha. But it is always desirable that mutually friendly relations are maintained outside the house. There is no need to feel insecure in the house. But all of you should exercise restraint and ensure that such things are not repeated," the Speaker said.

At the time when the Speaker made this observation, Adhikari was not in the house, though Chatterjee. However, the Speaker's remarks did not satisfy the BJP legislators present with the party's chief whip Dr Shankar Ghosh claiming that a deliberate attempt was being made to create tension within the Assembly premises. As the Trinamool legislators protested his comment, there was a mild ruckus within the house again.