BJP chief whip 'manhandled' by Bengal Assembly marshals falls sick, hospitalised

Kolkata, Sep 4 (IANS) The chief whip of BJP’s legislative party in the West Bengal Assembly Shankar Ghosh was hospitalised on Thursday as he fell sick after being allegedly manhandled by the Assembly marshals earlier in the day.

Ghosh was among the five BJP legislators who were suspended from the house just within a period of less than two hours during the last day of the special session of the Assembly on Thursday.

As Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee started delivering her speech on the motion on the issue of harassment of Bengal-speaking people in BJP-ruled states, the BJP legislators led by Ghosh started protesting against the “undemocratic” suspension of the leader of the opposition in West Bengal assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, on Tuesday.

Finally, the Speaker of the House, Biman Bandopadhyay, suspended Ghosh from the House and also called in the Marshals to escort the BJP leader out of the House.

As the marshals tried to force him out, Ghosh resisted, and finally, he was dragged out of the house by the marshals.

Initially, after being forced out of the assembly lobby, Ghosh interacted with the media person at the assembly lobby. However, he started feeling uneasy soon and was shifted to a private hospital at Maniktala in North Kolkata.State BJP sources said that Ghosh had already undergone an echocardiogram test and a CT scan. Later, he will undergo an X-ray to identify whether he has any internal injury. Injuries have been reported on his head and neck. He is currently under observation.

Another suspended BJP legislator, Bankim Ghosh, who was also roughed up by the Assembly marshals, has also been admitted.

Meanwhile, BJP national president, J.P. Nadda, called up the leader of the opposition in the West Bengal assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, to enquire about the health conditions of the two hospitalised party legislators.

J.P. Nadda had also sought photographs and videos of their scuffle with Assembly marshals as supporting documents.

--IANS

src/pgh