New Delhi: For the second consecutive day, newly elected MLAs from Trinamool Congress, Sayantika Bandyopadhyay and Rayat Hossain Sarkar, on Friday, June 28, protested in the state assembly premises in Kolkata demanding that the governor administer them the oath in the state assembly.
Governor C.V. Ananda Bose, however, insists that they come to the Raj Bhavan for oath. The legislators-elect say that it goes against the conventions, adding that if the governor is unwilling to come to the assembly for the oath, he could delegate it to the Speaker or Deputy Speaker of the assembly.
The legislators-elect sat down on the stairs of the assembly until 4 pm in protest on Friday, holding placards that read, “Waiting for the arrival Hon Governor for Oath”. However, the governor did not turn up, The Hindu reported.
Calling it “unfortunate”, Bandyopadhyay said it was not proper for the governor to force them “to beg to be administered oath”. Meanwhile, Sarkar said the governor could either come to the assembly and administer the oath or delegate the Speaker to do it, but he declined both options.
West Bengal assembly Speaker Biman Bandyopadhyay weighed in on the issue. “The oath-taking ceremony is a constitutional protocol and it is very unfortunate that we are facing this situation. If the Governor is willing, he can come to the Assembly and administer the oath. We will make all necessary arrangements. We have no objection. But there should not be an impasse,” the Speaker added.
The relations between the ruling Trinamool Congress and governor Bose have been strained for the last few months, particularly since Bose was accused of harassment by a woman staffer at Raj Bhavan. Since the allegations became public on May 2, chief minister Mamata Banerjee and her ministers have refrained from visiting Raj Bhavan.
Bandyopadhyay and Sarkar have been elected from Baranagar and Bhagwangola assembly seats in the recent bypolls.
