WB: Third day of oppn walkout on Nandigram issue

Kolkata, Mar 20: Throwing the entire house into utter chaos for the 3rd day today, the entire opposition comprising the Trinamool Congress, Congress and the SUCI again staged a noisy walkout protesting against the speaker's stance on the Nandigram issue.

As soon as the house assembled for the day today, members of the Trinamool Congress, Congress and the SUCI trooped into the well and started shouting slogans, blowing whistles and ringing bells, as they prevented any proceedings during the question hour.

They did not allow Speaker Hasim Abdul Halim to conduct the business of the house either.

Though some of the ruling party members tried to raise some questions and the concerned minsiters wanted to reply them, nothing could be heard in the din as all the opposition members shouted at the top of their voice, chaos ruled supreme.

But even when such bedlam did not have any effect on either the speaker or on the ruling party members, the entire Trinamool Congress bench staged a noisy walkout from the house demanding immediate resignation of the "killer Chief Minister".

But when the Speaker allowed Congress Chief Whip Manas Bhunia to speak in the subsequent zero hour, Mr Bhunia charged him with being biased and blamed him for not allowing the opposition to speak on the Nandigram massacre.

Intervening into Dr Bhunia's allegation, Mr Halim ruled out any steps taken as partisan and even charged the opposition members with trying to influence the ongoing CBI inquiry.

Categorically denying that the opposition was not being allowed enough time to raise the important issues, like the Nandigram carnage, he said the government had taken enough steps to cool down the situation in Nandigram and sought whole hearted co-operation from the opposition members to run the House smoothly.

He also suggested that the opposition members could jolly well raise the issue through various other means, including through adjournment motions and taking part in the question hour session in a more constructive manner.

But being dissatisfied with the speaker's ruling, the Congress members, led by Mr Bhunia, also walked out in protest.

Later the speaker disallowed two adjournment motions brought by as many Congress members on different issues because of their absence in the House.

Incidentally today was the third consecutive day when the entire opposition boycotted the house after staging protests within. As a result the discusions on the state budget were being carried out in their absence, which the speaker later described was not good for the prevalance of democarcy.

UNI