West Bengal Governor Accuses Assembly Speaker of Constitutional Violation

West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose wrote to President Droupadi Murmu, alleging a constitutional violation by Assembly Speaker Biman Banerjee. The Speaker administered oaths to two new TMC MLAs, a task assigned to the Deputy Speaker by Bose. Bose emphasized that this act contradicts Article 188 of the Constitution.

West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose on Friday formally addressed a letter to President Droupadi Murmu, condemning the administration of oaths to two recently elected TMC MLAs by the State Assembly Speaker as a 'violation of the Constitution,' according to a Raj Bhavan official.

Shortly after Speaker Biman Banerjee conducted the oath-taking ceremony, Governor Bose reached out to President Murmu, underscoring that this responsibility had been designated to the Deputy Speaker. 'The Governor has written to President Droupadi Murmu regarding the Speaker's constitutional impropriety. In his letter, the Governor also emphasized that the Bengal Speaker administering oaths to two MLAs at the state Assembly violates the Constitution,' a Raj Bhavan official informed PTI.

After an extensive month-long impasse between Raj Bhavan and the state assembly, TMC legislators Rayat Hossain Sarkar and Sayantika Banerjee took their oaths during an extraordinary session of the state assembly. Citing Article 188 of the Constitution, Governor Bose questioned, 'The Speaker has cited certain Rules. Can any Rule be above the Constitution? It is elementary knowledge that the Constitution supersedes any Rule.'

Article 188 mandates, 'Every member of the Legislative Assembly or the Legislative Council of a State shall, before taking his seat, make and subscribe before the Governor, or some person appointed in that behalf by him, an oath or affirmation according to the form set out for the purpose in the Third Schedule.' Despite the Governor's appointment of the Deputy Speaker to administer the oath, this constitutional breach occurred, the post concluded.

(Disclaimer: With inputs from agencies.)