Kolkata: A day after two newly elected Trinamool Congress MLAs failed to take oath following a dispute over the venue of the swearing-in ceremony, they began a protest at the West Bengal Assembly complex on Thursday.
The MLAs, Sayantika Bandyopadhyay and Rayat Hussain Sarkar, sat in front of BR Ambedkar's statue and demanded that Governor CV Anand Bose facilitate the swearing-in ceremony inside the Assembly to enable them perform the duties of elected public representatives.
Raj Bhavan had earlier invited the two, who were elected to the Assembly in recent by-elections, to take oath at the Governor House on Wednesday.
However, TMC claimed that tradition dictates that in case of by-election winners, the Governor appoints the Assembly Speaker or Deputy Speaker to administer the oath.
The Governor refused to organize the program in the Assembly on the request of both and went to New Delhi on the evening of 26 June.
"We waited till 4 pm on Wednesday for the Governor to conduct the swearing-in ceremony, but he did not come. Today we are sitting in front of Ambedkar's statue with the demand that our constitutional rights to work for the people be restored. To be made convenient." Without any delay, Bandopadhyay told reporters.
Speaker Biman Banerjee on Wednesday accused Bose of turning the swearing-in ceremony into a "battle of egos" and deliberately complicating the issue.
Bose said from New Delhi on Wednesday night that the Constitution gives him the right to decide who should be entrusted with the task of administering the oath to MLAs.
“I had no objection to fixing the Assembly as the venue, but because of an objectionable letter from the Speaker, reducing the dignity of the office of the Governor, that option was not found feasible,” Bose said.
The MLAs, Sayantika Bandyopadhyay and Rayat Hussain Sarkar, sat in front of BR Ambedkar's statue and demanded that Governor CV Anand Bose facilitate the swearing-in ceremony inside the Assembly to enable them perform the duties of elected public representatives.
Raj Bhavan had earlier invited the two, who were elected to the Assembly in recent by-elections, to take oath at the Governor House on Wednesday.
However, TMC claimed that tradition dictates that in case of by-election winners, the Governor appoints the Assembly Speaker or Deputy Speaker to administer the oath.
The Governor refused to organize the program in the Assembly on the request of both and went to New Delhi on the evening of 26 June.
"We waited till 4 pm on Wednesday for the Governor to conduct the swearing-in ceremony, but he did not come. Today we are sitting in front of Ambedkar's statue with the demand that our constitutional rights to work for the people be restored. To be made convenient." Without any delay, Bandopadhyay told reporters.
Speaker Biman Banerjee on Wednesday accused Bose of turning the swearing-in ceremony into a "battle of egos" and deliberately complicating the issue.
Bose said from New Delhi on Wednesday night that the Constitution gives him the right to decide who should be entrusted with the task of administering the oath to MLAs.
“I had no objection to fixing the Assembly as the venue, but because of an objectionable letter from the Speaker, reducing the dignity of the office of the Governor, that option was not found feasible,” Bose said.
