The West Bengal Assembly descended into chaos on Thursday as tensions flared between the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), leading to dramatic scenes, physical scuffles, and multiple suspensions of BJP MLAs.
The uproar began when Speaker Biman Banerjee ordered the suspension of BJP MLA and party Chief Whip, Sankar Ghosh, for disrupting proceedings. When Ghosh refused to vacate the House, marshals were called in to evict him, triggering a violent altercation in the Assembly chamber.
As Ghosh was reportedly dragged out, fellow BJP MLAs stormed the well of the House, chanting "Jai Shri Ram" and "Bharat Mata ki Jai" slogans. TMC members retaliated.
The chaos took place during a heated debate on a motion tabled by the TMC under Rule 169, condemning the alleged mistreatment of Bengali migrant workers in BJP-ruled states. The motion sought to draw attention to what the TMC termed as the "persecution of Bengalis" outside West Bengal.
Despite repeated appeals by the Speaker for calm, the opposition refused to relent, demanding that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee first explain why Suvendu Adhikari, Leader of the Opposition, had been suspended earlier in the week.
When the ruckus temporarily subsided, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee launched a blistering attack on the BJP, accusing the saffron party of being “anti-Bengal” and responsible for orchestrating violence against Bengali migrants. “The BJP is a party of the corrupt, a party of vote thieves. They are the biggest dacoit party,” Banerjee declared. “Bangla-birodhi BJP hatao, desh bachao (Remove the anti-Bengal BJP, save the country),” she added, drawing loud protests from the BJP benches.
Banerjee further alleged that the BJP had misused central forces to harass TMC MPs and tried to block any discussion about atrocities against Bengali workers. “They don’t want the truth to come out. They are afraid of discussing the harassment faced by Bengalis in BJP-ruled states. They have sold the nation,” she said.
The Chief Minister also directed strong criticism towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, calling their government “shameless”. “The BJP wasn’t even born when the freedom struggle began. They have no moral right to lecture us. They order the BSF to beat up our people. They don’t want to listen to the voice of the people,” said Banerjee.
“Mark my words, a day will come when not a single BJP MLA will sit in this House. The people will throw you out of power. The Modi-Shah government at the Centre will collapse soon,” she asserted.
The BJP reacted furiously to Banerjee’s remarks. Suvendu Adhikari, who has been barred from the Assembly for the remainder of this special session, launched a scathing attack on the TMC leadership from outside the House. Speaking to reporters, Adhikari alleged, “Entire TMC cadre are gunda (goons). They brutally attacked and physically assaulted Sankar Ghosh. The entire proceedings were instigated by thief Mamata Banerjee. She is the biggest thief of Bengal.”
He also took to social media to express his outrage. “Today, in the West Bengal Assembly, democracy was murdered by the democracy-killer Mamata and her servile administration,” posted Adhikari on X.
The day’s events come amid growing political hostility ahead of the crucial 2026 Assembly elections, where Mamata Banerjee will seek a fourth consecutive term as Chief Minister.
