By IANS,
Kolkata : The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Sunday accused the Trinamool Congress-led West Bengal government of trying to “gag” the opposition and running the assembly “unconstitutionally”.
“They won’t let us speak inside the assembly; they won’t let others to speak. Whoever tries to stand against them, they are attacked. Our workers, teachers, panchayat officials are all being attacked. They do not want us to speak,” Leader of Opposition and senior party leader Surjya Kanta Mishra said.
Addressing the open session at the party’s state conference here, Mishra said the government, in spite of all its efforts, will not be able to stifle the voices of protest.
“They have stopped us from speaking inside the assembly but can they stop the people, the media from saying what the truth is?” he added.
Terming the state government “autocratic”, he accused it of functioning unconstitutionally.
“This government has only one post… that of the chief minister (Mamata Banerjee). She is the one to decide everything. She may carry the constitution but has never read it. She has been passing laws without taking our suggestions. The assembly is being run unconstitutionally,” said Mishra.
He also attacked the government for its failure to present a budget.
“The government is yet to pass a full budget. I do not know how long will they run the government without a budget. I do not know what they will do,” Mishra added.
Speaker Biman Bandyopadhyay had recently barred press conferences at the media centre in the assembly premises when the house is not in session.