WBPC condemns Speaker's comment on Governor

Kolkata, Mar 23: West Bengal Pradesh Congress today condemned Speaker Hasim Abdul Halim's reported comment yesterday that the Governnor had no right to issue any statement on Nandigram massacre and that the High Court should not have given a suo motu order for a CBI inquiry on the sensitive issue.

Issuing a letter to this effect to Mr Halim and seeking his clarification on the issue, Congress Chief Whip Manas Bhunia told newsmen here today that the Speaker's reported statement would create a constitutional and judicial crisis in the state and it had set a 'dangerous precedence' in the democratic norms of governance.

Reiterating the party's strong protest on the issue, Dr Bhunia said the Speaker under no circumstances should have made such a 'dangerous' statement when both he and the governor had taken oath to protect the Constitution and under the cover of being immuned off any legal action he should not have made such a statement which was bound to create a major constitutional and judicial crisis.

'' We wonder why after adorning the seat of Speaker, Mr Halim had made such an unconstitutional statement, which might even destroy the basic fibre of Parliamentary democracy,'' Dr Bhunia in his letter to the Speaker said and sought for an immediate reply.

The copies of the letter to the Speaker were also given to the media.

Incidentally, the Speaker in an informal chat with newsmen had reportedly made such a statement criticising the role of the governor as well as the judiciary.

UNI