Trouble deepens for the Trinamool Congress (TMC) with its leaders speaking out against the party, this time prompting the suspension. Two MLAs, Ritabrata Banerjee of the Uluberia North constituency and Sandipan Saha of the Entally constituency, were suspended on Monday for complaining to the West Bengal Legislative Assembly Speaker, Ratindra Bose, alleging false signatures when a resolution was passed on 6th May naming Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay as the Leader of the Opposition (LoP).
“TMC has sent one copy of the resolution of 70 MLAs who signed on that copy. Two AITC MLAs, Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha, have alleged that no resolution was signed or happened. The resolution is manufactured and fabricated. 14 signatures were in block letters,” said Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, speaking about the letter written to the Assembly Speaker on 9th May. “In the CID's investigation, the government has no role in this,” added Adhikari.
The Assembly Speaker filed an FIR at Hare Street police station based on the complaint of the two suspended MLAs. The West Bengal Criminal Investigation Department (CID) investigated the signatures of 13 MLAs with the help of handwriting experts.
“Baharul Islam, Arup Rai, and Subhashish Biswas came forward saying it was not their signature,” added the CM.
Meanwhile, Sandipan Saha said that as assembly representatives, they did not think it was right for forged signatures to be on the official document.
“If the party is doing something illegal and if they are suspending those who are against something illegal, then you can imagine what a party it is,” said Sandipan Saha.
Sandipan Saha and Ritabrata Banerjee were two of the 60 MLAs who skipped the Sunday meeting at Mamata Banerjee’s Kalighat residence, prompting the meeting to be postponed. Only 20 MLAs were present for the meeting. The TMC said its party leaders were busy preparing for protests across the state against the Sonarpur incident on Saturday involving Abhishek Banerjee.
Abhishek Banerjee skips CID summons
TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee was served a notice by the CID on Saturday in the same case, as his signature is at the bottom of the document.
Abhishek, meanwhile, did not go for questioning at 12 noon, as he said he is unwell and has asked for 15 days' time. The TMC MP was heckled on Saturday in the Sonarpur area in the southern fringes of Kolkata by angry locals calling him a thief.
Abhishek had gone to visit a victim’s family affected by post-poll violence and had to wear a cricket helmet to protect himself. He was escorted out by the state police and Central forces. The TMC MP was denied admission at a city hospital as his condition was not considered to be bad, prompting his aunt and party supremo, Mamata Banerjee, to allege a conspiracy by the BJP while hitting out at the hospital’s CEO.
