From Parliament to Assembly, Two Mamata TMC Leaders Face Suspension Within Hours
By Kunal Chatterjee
The deepening split within the Trinamool Congress erupted dramatically in both Parliament and the West Bengal Legislative Assembly on Wednesday, as two prominent leaders from the Kalighat faction—MP Kalyan Banerjee and MLA Kunal Ghosh—were suspended within hours of each other. While Banerjee was barred from the Lok Sabha for the remainder of the Monsoon Session, Ghosh was suspended from the Assembly for the day after being physically removed from the House by marshals. The twin suspensions have intensified the political battle between the Kalighat camp, loyal to Mamata Banerjee, and the rival Ritabrata Banerjee-led faction.
The more dramatic scenes unfolded inside the West Bengal Legislative Assembly during the discussion on the Home Department budget. The proceedings were disrupted when Akhruzzaman, an MLA aligned with the Ritabrata Banerjee faction and the recognised Opposition Chief Whip, rose to speak. Kunal Ghosh immediately left his seat, walked towards him and repeatedly demanded, “Why are you striking my name off the list?” Ignoring the protest, Akhruzzaman continued his speech while Speaker Rathindra Basu repeatedly asked Ghosh to return to his seat. When the MLA refused, the Speaker warned, “Mr. Kunal, if you do not return to your seat, I will be forced to have you removed.” As Ghosh continued to protest, marshals entered the chamber and physically carried him out on the Speaker’s orders before he was suspended for the remainder of the day.
Kunal Ghosh said, "They are not allowing me to speak in the Assembly, while giving repeated opportunities to the rebel Trinamool MLAs who are backed by the BJP. By doing so, they are helping the ruling BJP avoid being held to account by the real Opposition.”
He added, “One of the senior members of the rebel Ritabrata Banerjee camp, who was present inside the Assembly, even asked me to join their faction. He told me that if I switched sides, I would be allowed to speak as many times as I wanted."
MLAs from Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress staged a walkout from the session over this incident. It is a rare occurrence in the history of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly for an elected MLA to be forcibly removed in this manner. Ghosh later said, “
The incident brought Assembly proceedings to a standstill and triggered loud protests from MLAs. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari strongly condemned Ghosh’s conduct, saying, “There are many ways to protest. I have never witnessed such uncivilised behaviour. I condemn it strongly.” Ministers Shankar Ghosh and Jagannath Chattopadhyay also entered the Well of the House as the confrontation escalated.
The clash stemmed from a long-running dispute over speaking rights in the Assembly. Leaders of the Kalighat faction have repeatedly alleged that although Kunal Ghosh’s name appears on the list of proposed speakers, it is later struck off by the Opposition Chief Whip and replaced with another MLA. Similar concerns had earlier been raised by veteran Trinamool MLA Sovandeb Chattopadhyay and Kaliganj MLA Alifa Ahmed. Responding to the controversy, Akhruzzaman defended the recognised Opposition’s authority to choose its speakers, saying, “There are 80 MLAs; there isn’t enough time for everyone to speak. We will decide who gets to speak and who doesn’t.”
The dispute reflects the wider battle over which faction represents the “real” Trinamool Congress. The Ritabrata Banerjee camp claims legitimacy on the grounds that it enjoys the support of the majority of elected MLAs, while the Kalighat faction insists it remains the genuine Trinamool and alleges that the rival camp is backed by the BJP. The question of which faction is entitled to the party’s election symbol is currently before the Election Commission of India.
Barely an hour before Ghosh’s suspension in Kolkata, senior Kalighat leader Kalyan Banerjee was suspended from the Lok Sabha following complaints from members of the dissident Trinamool faction. Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar and Satabdi Roy accused the Serampore MP of making misogynistic remarks and insulting women MPs during a heated exchange inside Parliament. According to sources, Banerjee had referred to the dissidents as “turncoats”, leading to a confrontation with Satabdi Roy, Mitali Bag and others. He also reportedly criticised Bhupender Yadav, accusing him of being behind the defections from the Trinamool Congress. Following the complaint, Speaker Om Birla suspended Banerjee for the remainder of the Monsoon Session.
Rejecting the allegations, Banerjee remained defiant. As he left Parliament, he declared, “I will stay outside if necessary, but I will not bow my head before traitors.” Later, he told reporters, “All the allegations being made are false. I will come to Parliament starting tomorrow and sit outside. The fight against the traitors will continue.”
Kunal Ghosh came out strongly in defence of the Serampore MP, saying, “Suspending Kalyan Banerjee is utterly undemocratic. Those who shield traitors are the ones suspending Kalyan-da. What Kalyan-da did and said was absolutely right.”
