Kolkata: West Bengal Speaker Biman Bandyopadhyay on Wednesday asked legislators not to use any word not mentioned in the Assembly rule book in the wake of chanting of slogans like "Jai Shri Ram" or "Jai Hind" by BJP members but the saffron party said it won't stop from doing so.
The issue was raised at an all-party meeting held under the tutelage of the Speaker at his chamber, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Partha Chatterjee told reporters. "It was decided at the meeting that no such words which are not there in the rules and regulations of the House will be allowed during the proceedings in the upcoming extended budget session starting Friday," Chatterjee said.
"Every representative has been asked to abide by the rules and regulations of the House," the TMC leader said.
Earlier in the day, during the swearing-in ceremony of eight newly elected MLAs in the recently held bypolls, BJP MLA from Habibpur Joyel Murmu chanted "Jai Shri Ram" after taking oath. Speaker Bandyopadhyay instructed not to include these words uttered by Murmu in the official record and reprimanded his action.
Bandyopadhyay then asked the remaining MLAs, who were yet to take oath, not to utter anything which was not in their swearing-in speeches provided. However, TMC MLA of Uluberia Purba Idris Ali, the last person to take oath chanted "Jai Hind" which again drew the Speaker's rebuke.
Speaking to reporters, another BJP MLA from Madarihat, Manoj Tigga, said, "We will definitely chant 'Jai Shri Ram' during the proceedings in the upcoming extended Budget session of the state assembly. This is nothing but a ploy to choke the voice of the opposition. But we will not stop."
Incidentally, BJP MPs from West Bengal while being sworn-in in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday were greeted with chants of "Jai Shri Ram".
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