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No question hour at 2-day Bengal assembly session, BJP claims, it shows TMC’s double standard

Hindustan Times, Kolkata | ByHT Correspondent
Sep 03, 2020 08:12 PM IST

The opposition BJP targeted the Trinamool Congress government for scrapping question hour saying the state government was not willing to face people’s questions and doing away with question hour showed the TMC’s double standards.

West Bengal assembly speaker Biman Banerjee on Thursday announced that the state’s two-day monsoon session will have no question hour due to “paucity of time”, a day after his party, Trinamool Congress, MP Derek O’Brien said not having question hour in Parliament was the worst assault on democracy.

“You don’t allow #QuestionHour where ministers have to stand up and answer Qs from MPs and be held accountable. Now you only condescend to allow written Questions/Answers! Stop throwing crumbs. This is #Parliament Not the Gujarat Gymkhana,” Derek O’Brien had tweeted on Thursday afternoon.

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The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) targeted the Trinamool Congress government for scrapping question hour at the West Bengal legislative assembly’s two-day monsoon session to be held on September 9 and 10 saying the state government was not willing to face people’s questions and not having question hour showed TMC’s double standards.

Also read: Rajnath dials Opposition over Question Hour issue

“The chairpersons of two houses of Parliament talk to all parties before deciding the schedule of a session. In Bengal, the session is being held only to abide by the norm (of having a session within six months). The government does not want to face questions on raging issues such as corruption in distribution of relief for people affected by Cyclone Amphan or, its failure to combat the Covid-19 pandemic. It shows TMC’s double standards,” said Bengal BJP vice-president Jay Prakash Majumdar.

“The Speaker has not officially informed us that there will be no question hour. We have also come to know about this from sources. He will sit with all parties on September 8,” said CPI(M) lawmaker Sujan Chakraborty.

Banejree said that it was not possible to have a question-answer session because of paucity of time as the session has been kept short in view of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Out of 294 seats in the assembly, the TMC has 221 while the BJP has 14 and the CPI(M), 21.

The Speaker also said that legislators, assembly staff, security personnel and journalists will have to undergo rapid antigen tests on September 8 and 9 for which a medical camp will be set up at the premises. Only those testing negative will be given clearance to enter the building.

“The legislators will have to maintain distance and occupy specific seats earmarked for them. Elderly legislators will sit in the main hall and younger members will be asked to sit in the galleries. We will not be able to accommodate all journalists as many seats in the media gallery have to be kept empty to ensure social distancing,” said Banerjee.

No guests will be allowed during the session and vehicles have to be parked outside the main premises.

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