Bengal Assembly special session likely in August on “harassment” of Bengalis in BJP-ruled states

Kolkata: A special session of the West Bengal assembly is likely to be convened next month to discuss a special resolution to be moved by the Mamata government on the issue of the alleged harassment of Bengali-speaking people in the BJP-ruled states.

An insider from the state’s Parliamentary affairs department said that the likely date for the special session will be between August 8 and August 21.

“There are plans that, besides moving the special resolution on this issue, four other new Bills are likely to be placed on the floor of the House during the special session. However, everything is on the discussion stage now. The proposal for convening the special session of the House will be placed by the state Parliamentary affairs department at the office of the Speaker Biman Bandopadhyay only after the details in the matter are finalised,” the department insider said.

Confirming the development, a senior member of the state cabinet, who refused to be named, said that while it has already been decided that Trinamool Congress will be going for an all-out protest demonstrations on the matter every weekend, the leadership also feels that the party line on the issue of alleged-harassment of Bengali-speaking people in the BJP-ruled states should be officially recorded on the floor of the House.

On Tuesday, before leaving for New Delhi, the Leader of Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, claimed that Mamata Banerjee is trying to portray herself as the self-proclaimed protector of the Bengali language and Bengali culture, understanding that the anti-incumbency wave against her party is getting stronger every day.

While addressing Trinamool Congress’ annual Martyrs’ Day rally in central Kolkata on Monday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced that her party will launch weekend protest programmes across the state starting July 27, in response to the alleged harassment of Bengali-speaking people in BJP-ruled states.

Also Read: Telangana Minister demands resignation of BJP MPs over 42 pc BC reservation

She described this protest programme as yet another “Bhasha Andolon (Language Movement)”. Historically, Bhasha Andolan was a political movement in what was then East Pakistan, advocating for the recognition of Bangla as an official language of the country, which ultimately led to the emergence of Bangladesh as an independent nation after erstwhile East Pakistan was liberated from Pakistan in 1971.