Mic Cut: West Bengal Minister's Assembly Displeasure

West Bengal's Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay expressed discontent when his microphone was allegedly turned off during an assembly session. Although not on the speaker list, he was granted a brief slot. A debate ensued, highlighting procedural issues in the assembly's speaker list decisions.

The West Bengal assembly witnessed tension as Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay's discontent came to the fore when his microphone was allegedly switched off mid-speech. The controversy arose over procedural disagreements regarding the list of speakers.

According to assembly sources, Chattopadhyay's name was not included for the discussion on the Budget Appropriation Bill. Despite this, State Power Minister Aroop Biswas requested Speaker Biman Banerjee to allot Chattopadhyay some time, leading to an exchange where the Speaker maintained procedural integrity.

The Speaker eventually permitted him four minutes, but Chattopadhyay's microphone was allegedly shut off shortly, marking his visible displeasure. Finance Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya pointed out the frequent tardiness of opposition MLAs who still receive speaking time. Chattopadhyay reported having a cordial conversation with the Speaker during recess.

(With inputs from agencies.)