Bengal Leader of Opposition ousted from house, hospitalised

Kolkata, Feb 8 (IANS) There was pandemonium in the West Bengal assembly on Wednesday as an indisposed Leader of Opposition Abdul Mannan had to be hospitalised after he was forcibly removed by the marshals following his suspension.

There were slogan-shouting and scuffles between the watch and ward staff and the Congress and Left Front lawmakers.

Speaker Biman Banerjee slapped a two-day suspension on Mannan for disobeying his order to remove placards and posters containing pictures of the vandalism in the assembly lobby on November 30, 2006, by then opposition Trinamool Congress members.

On Wednesday, Mannan and other opposition members were protesting against the West Bengal Maintenance of Public Order (Amendment) Bill, 2017, brought by the Mamata Banerjee government containing stringent measures against destruction of public property.

Defying the Speaker, Mannan continued to display the placards and posters highlighting how in 2006 the Trinamool had damaged public property in the assembly lobby -- furniture, files -- in the presence of Banerjee over her arrest during the height of the anti- Tata Nano agitation in Singur of Hooghly district.

Calling the bill a "black law", Mannan went on protesting and as soon as the Speaker suspended him, the Congress legislator sat in the well of the house.

The Speaker called the marshals and other security personnel to remove Mannan from the house, leading to a scuffle between the suspended member and the marshals. The other Congress legislators also joined the scuffle.

During the disturbances, Mannan sustained injury and fell sick and was ambulanced to a central Kolkata hospital, where he was detected with high blood pressure and a complete heart blockage. A temporary pacemaker was implanted in his body to keep him stable.

"He has external injury on his left calf and left ankle. He has a past history of diabetes and high blood pressure, and has also undergone replacement surgeries for both knee joints," said the attending doctor.

"When he was admitted, his blood pressure had shot up and he had a complete heart blockage. He is conscious. A temporary pacemaker is being fitted. And later, the cardiologist will take a decision on installing a long term pacemaker," the doctor said.

Meanwhile, the Congress and Left Front legislators staged a noisy walkout from the house to protest the incident.

Congress legislator Pratima Rajak alleged before the media that she was molested by security personnel who "pulled her saree and even tried to kick her..."

The contentious Bill was, however, passed by the house later with the opposition benches vacant.

Taking umbrage at the opposition protests against the bill, the Chief Minister said they had no faith in peaceful agitations and only tried to hog the limelight by destroying public property.

"But our government is not weak. We won't let such things happen," she said in the assembly.

(This story has not been edited by Social News XYZ staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)