Trinamool Privilege notice against Bhattacharjee rejected

Kolkata, Apr 2 (UNI) Amid slogans and tantrums, Speaker Hashim Abdul Halim rejected the Privilege notice against West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee leading to a walk-out by the Opposition Trinamool Congress on the last day of the Budget Session of the state assembly today.

The notice was brought by Leader of the Opposition Partha Chatterjee alleging that the Chief Minister had provided different status reports at different times on the amount of land, willingly given by farmers in Singur for the Tata Motors's small car project.

Mr Chatterjee alleged that the figure given by the Chief Minister in his letter to Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on December 20 was different from what he said in his reply in the House on November 23 or from the affidavit filed by the State Government in Calcutta High Court on March 27.

However, giving his ruling, the Speaker said the papers submitted in favour of the petition could not be considered as valid in the absence of incomplete information, authentication and signature of the Chief Minister.

He said the copy of the Chief Minister's letter did not have his signature making it unclear where from it had been obtained, while all the relevant copies of the State Government's affidavit had not been submitted with the Speaker's office.

'' The documents do not reveal that the Chief Minister misled the House with incorrect facts, and therefore, the notice is rejected, '' he said.

The Chief Minister, now in Delhi in connection with CPI(M) Central Committee meeting, was not however, present in the House.

Later, talking to reporters in his chamber, Mr Halim said it was not possible for him to attach importance on the papers submitted by Mr Chatterjee and treat them as valid documents. '' No copy was authenticated as is required under the rule nor the copy of the Chief Minister's letter has his signature, '' he said.

However, Mr Chatterjee alleged to reporters in his Assembly chamber that the Speaker was ''acting at the behest of the CPI(M)'' to protect the Chief Minister.

As soon as Mr Halim finished his ruling, the Trinamool Congress members rushed to the podium and started shouting slogans against him even though the Speaker went ahead in transacting the normal business on two Bills.

The situation charged up when senior Trinamool Congress member Saugata Ray tried to snatch the Speaker's microphone and say something. Mr Halim immediately ordered the security to remove the agitating members from there.

Failing to make the Speaker agree to let them sepak on the notice, the Trinamool members staged a noisy walkout for the day.

UNI