Kolkata – West Bengal Assembly Speaker Biman Banerjee on Wednesday confirmed that he has accepted a privilege motion filed by four Trinamool Congress (TMC) legislators against Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari for making allegedly defamatory remarks against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee outside the assembly.
“The committee will submit its report by the next session,” Speaker Biman Banerjee told the media, adding that the motion has been referred to the assembly’s privilege committee for review.
According to assembly officials, the next session is likely to be held in September.
What Sparked the Motion?
The controversy began on Tuesday, during a session in which Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee sharply criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, blaming the Centre for failing to ensure citizens’ security. Her comments came during discussions on a resolution brought forward by the TMC government that condemned the terror attack and praised the Indian armed forces’ retaliatory actions. The resolution was adopted unanimously, although it did not explicitly mention the operation’s name, Operation Sindoor.
Following the assembly proceedings, Suvendu Adhikari made scathing remarks to the media, accusing the Chief Minister of sympathizing with Pakistan.
“She batted for Pakistan all the way and also insulted our Prime Minister and Union home minister,” Adhikari said outside the assembly premises.
In response, TMC lawmakers quickly submitted a written application to the Speaker’s office, seeking permission to move a privilege motion against Adhikari for his statements made outside the House.
The privilege committee will now review the matter and make its recommendations before the next assembly session.