The first Assembly session of the newly elected West Bengal government witnessed noisy scenes and sharp exchanges on Tuesday as a debate on the Governor’s address quickly descended into a war of words between the treasury and opposition benches.
The spotlight, however, was firmly on Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA Kunal Ghosh, who delivered his maiden speech in the Assembly after being elected from Beleghata.
Ghosh combined political attacks, sarcasm and personal barbs to counter BJP legislators, triggering repeated interruptions and drawing the Speaker into the controversy.
The uproar began soon after Ghosh rose to participate in the discussion on the Governor’s address. BJP MLAs interrupted him with taunts, questioning his political identity and asking, “Which Trinamool do you belong to?”
In a sharp response, Ghosh said, “The ink on my finger has not yet faded. I am not a traitor.”
As the exchanges intensified, Ghosh alleged that BJP legislators were deliberately trying to prevent him from speaking.
“They are afraid of me. That is why they are not allowing me to speak,” he remarked, drawing protests from the opposition benches.
The situation escalated further when Ghosh launched an indirect attack on Leader of Opposition Ritabrata Banerjee. Referring to an alleged rape case linked to Balurghat, he questioned the decision to appoint such a person as the Leader of Opposition.
Addressing Speaker Rathindranath Basu, Ghosh said, “How can someone accused in a rape case be made the Leader of Opposition?”
The Speaker intervened and asked Ghosh to refrain from making such remarks. The Trinamool MLA reacted sharply, saying, “You cannot speak to me like this.” His comments led to fresh protests from BJP members.
Ghosh also took aim at BJP legislators, saying, “You are afraid of me. You should continue to fear me for the next five years.”
When BJP MLA Ashok Dinda objected to some of his remarks, Ghosh responded by referring to the controversy surrounding Dinda’s earlier comments on football star Lionel Messi, prompting laughter from sections of the treasury benches.
With tempers rising, Tourism Minister Shankar Ghosh appealed for restraint. He reminded members that it was Ghosh’s first speech in the Assembly and urged both sides to maintain parliamentary decorum.
“There will be many opportunities over the next five years to debate political differences. Let us maintain courtesy and focus on the Governor’s address,” he said.
Reacting to the developments, BJP spokesperson Debjit Sarkar said a strong opposition was essential for democracy and accused the Trinamool of being unable to adjust to life out of power.
CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty, meanwhile, said Bengal’s political culture had changed drastically, alleging that attempts were being made to marginalise the opposition in the state.