FIR on 12 Bengal BJP MLAs for Insulting National Anthem

Kolkata: West Bengal leader of the opposition Suvendu Adhikari and 11 other BJP MLAs have been booked in an FIR by the police for allegedly insulting the national anthem, sung by chief minister Mamata Banerjee and other the Trinamul Congress MLAs, in the Assembly.

The FIR was initiated at the Hare Street police station in central Kolkata on Thursday after parliamentary affairs minister Sovandeb Chattopadhyay, finance minister Chandrima Bhattacharya and TMC deputy chief whip Tapas Roy lodged a complaint against the dozen BJP MLAs.

According to the complaint, the TMC MLAs were singing the national anthem after ending their sit-in demonstration on the Assembly premises on Wednesday afternoon against the Centre’s apathy in welfare funds’ release to the state government.

Mr Adhikari and other BJP MLAs also returned to the Assembly then from union home minister Amit Shah's rally in Dharmatala. They allegedly did not stop at TMC chorus of the national anthem and shouted “Chor, Chor” slogans at them. Speaker Biman Banerjee later warned of strong action against the BJP MLAs.

Mr Adhikari however alleged faults in the FIR. He claimed, “It has named Sovan Kanjilal, who already defected to TMC from BJP, as an accused. Among other accused, Chandana Bauri has been described as Chandrima while Hiran Chatterjee did not come to the Assembly.”