The West Bengal Assembly witnessed high drama on its budget session finale as a privilege motion rocked the proceedings against BJP’s high-profile MLA Agnimitra Paul. Her Friday comments, deemed hurtful to minorities, drew swift retaliation from the treasury benches.
Agriculture Minister Sovandeo Chattopadhyay formally presented the breach notice, sparking vehement opposition from BJP members. Colleague Mihir Goswami protested that Paul had clarified her position post-Speaker approval, accusing the move of pandering to minority pressures.
Chaos ensued with indoor protests morphing into a full walkout. BJP legislators marched out amid slogan-shouting and sustained their sit-in outside, demanding justice.
Parallelly, the house greenlit a name change for Murshidabad University to Maharaja Krishnath Murshidabad University. Born from the 2018 upgrade of 1853-founded Krishnath College, it honors the Maharaja’s vision for education, reform, and cultural synthesis in West Bengal.
This rebranding infuses historical pride, setting it apart in the state’s university landscape. Privileges Committee now holds the key to Paul’s fate.
As dust settled on a stormy session, the incident exposes fragile tempers in Bengal’s polarized politics, raising debates on privilege misuse and expression limits in legislative forums.