Unprecedented 2-Day Break For Bengal Assembly As "Bills Not Cleared"

The West Bengal assembly was adjourned for two days on Tuesday in an unprecedented move, with the Speaker saying bills to be tabled were yet to be cleared by Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar.

Speaker Biman Banerjee announced that the assembly would stay adjourned on Wednesday and Thursday and resume on Friday.

"We had scheduled some bills to be tabled in the House and sent them for the Governor's nod before their presentation. The bills had gone for printing too. But they are yet to receive the Governor's nod, we cannot place them... So the House will remain adjourned for two days," said the Speaker.

Governor Dhankhar, who has had a running feud with the Mamata Banerjee-led state government, hit back in a tweet this morning and blamed the delay on the administration. "As Governor I follow the script and tune of the Constitution and cannot blindly take a call. I am neither a rubber-stamp nor a post office. I am obligated to scrutinise the bills in the light of the constitution and act without delay. Concerned at delay by government on this," Mr Dhankhar tweeted.

On Tuesday evening, the Governor's house Raj Bhavan had also put out a statement denying any delay and said the pending bills were on account of "lack of input or response" from various departments.

The situation projected was "factually untenable", said the Governor's office.

"There has been no delay in handling the legislative work in the Raj Bhavan. Highest priority is accorded. However, all issues are thoroughly gone into after due briefing from the department. There is no delay whatsoever at the end of the Governor in dealing with legislative work and if issues there on are pending, it is on account of lack of input or response from the concerned in the respective departments," the statement said.

Last week, the Governor had hit out at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, accusing her of "humiliating" him "on every occasion" and not briefing him regularly. He had also criticized the Speaker for "violating protocol" by inviting him to speak at the special session of the assembly after other dignitaries.