Calcutta HC quashes Trinamool MLA's petition accusing suppression of right to speak in Bengal Assembly

Kolkata, Aug 7 (AHN) A single-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court on Friday quashed a petition from Trinamool Congress legislator Kunal Ghosh, a journalist-turned-politician, accusing suppression of his rights to speak on the floor of the West Bengal Assembly as a legislator.

Quashing the petition, the single-judge bench of Justice Krishan Rao said that since the court could not intervene in the internal matters of the Assembly proceedings, the petition from Ghosh had no admissibility.

Instead, Justice Rao advised Ghosh to approach the Assembly Speaker Rathindra Bose with his grievances in the matter.

Kunal Ghosh is a prominent face in the "original but minority" faction in Trinamool Congress, which is continuing its allegiance towards the former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee.

The majority of the Trinamool Congress legislators have united in the "rebel but majority" faction led by the expelled party legislator Ritabrata Banerjee, who is currently the official West Bengal Leader of the Opposition.

In the recent past, Ghosh had, once again, alleged that he was not being allowed to speak on the floor of the House while the Assembly was in session.

He alleged that his name was not being included in the list of speakers in the last extended Budget session of the House.

He had accused the Ritabrata-led faction in Trinamool Congress as the conspirator on this count.

In the last extended Budget session of the House, Ghosh also got involved in a heated argument with the Chief Whip of the Ritabrata-led Trinamool Congress faction, Akhruzzaman.

Chaos ensued in the Assembly, following which Ghosh was marshalled out of the House. He was also suspended from the state Assembly for that day. Even then, he has repeatedly raised allegations of conspiracy to suppress his voice. Later, he filed a case in the Calcutta High Court.

As the matter came up for hearing at Justice Rao's bench on Friday afternoon, Ghosh's counsel sought "judicial review" in the matter.

On the other hand, the counsel appearing on behalf of the State Assembly, said that the petition from Ghosh had no admissibility and added that Ghosh had the opportunity to speak on the floor of the House in June.

"There are 294 legislators. Everyone has to be given a chance to speak. How could the court regulate which MLAs could speak and which MLAs could not?" the Assembly counsel asked in his counter argument.

Finally, Justice Rao declined the plea for "judicial review" and said that the court had nothing to do in the matter.