TMC leaders express concern over 'repetitive' questions on West Bengal violence being allowed in Parliament

New Delhi: Leaders of Trinamool Congress group in both the Houses of Parliament have written to the presiding officers raising concern that repeat questions regarding political violence during 2019 general Assembly elections have been allowed which they said was an alleged violation of Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in both the Houses.

Derek O’Brien and Sudip Bandyopadhyay, Leaders of Trinamool Congress (TMC) group in Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha, have written letters to Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu and Speaker Om Birla in this regard.

“I would like to bring to your kind attention that rule 47 (xiv) of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Council of states regarding conditions of admissibility of questions is being violated in House.

Rule 47 (xiv) states that a question ‘shall not repeat in substance question already answered.” read the letter to Chairman in the Rajya Sabha.

“However, four questions have been allowed in Rajya Sabha regarding political violence during 2019 General Assembly elections. The Parliament of India does not discuss any questions repetitively.

The same question is not normally allowed to be raised on the floor of this august House again and again with minor variations. But the law and order situation in West Bengal has been raised multiple times in different forms during this session,” it read.

Similarly, Sudip Bandyopadhyay stated that three questions have been allowed in Lok Sabha regarding political violence during the general elections.

“Ten advisories have gone to the State Government in ten days. This is butchering the parliamentary process. Why is the Bengal government being targeted in such a manner? We strongly protest this and request you to kindly look into it,” read both the letters.