Two BJP MLAs were suspended from the Assembly on Wednesday, prompting vehement protests and a walkout by the Opposition.

BJP MLAs Mihir Goswami and Sudip Mukherjee were suspended from the House for the rest of the budget session on account of “misconduct and misbehaviour” on March 7 during governor Jagdeep Dhankhar’s address.

BJP MLAs had staged a protest in the well of the House on Monday alleging malpractices during the recent civic polls and stalled Assembly proceedings for nearly an hour.

On Wednesday, the motion to suspend the two MLAs was introduced by parliamentary affairs minister Partha Chatterjee and passed by a voice vote. Chatterjee later alleged that the two BJP MLAs had diminished the integrity of the Assembly with their “misconduct and misbehaviour”. He added that once the motion was passed in the House, it was admitted by the Speaker.

BJP MLAs shouted slogans demanding the withdrawal of the suspensions. The protests continued for over 40 minutes, even as chief minister Mamata Banerjee replied to the governor’s address.

Suvendu Adhikari, the leader of BJP’s legislative party, requested Speaker Biman Banerjee to recall the suspensions. The Speaker asked Adhikari to make a written appeal, which he did not, telling the media later that everything was already on record.

BJP MLAs walked out of the House in protest followed by a demonstration outside.

“I’m not going to give it (request to recall the suspensions) in writing because it is illogical... Everything I've said is already on record,” Adhikari later told the media.

Adhikari said the BJP would continue to protest against the “immoral suspensions” for the rest of the budget session. He said his party MLAs will participate in the proceedings of the House and “uphold the voice of the people” but keep protesting for the rest of the session to demand the suspensions be recalled. The suspended MLAs alleged the government was trying to stifle their voices.

Governor Dhankhar took to his Twitter handle on Wednesday and alleged Mamata was lauding “disorder” in the Assembly. He wrote to the Speaker on Tuesday naming MLAs from the ruling party who allegedly blocked his way on Monday.

He made no mention of the protests and sloganeering by the Opposition MLAs.

Adhikari , on Wednesday, also alleged that his colleagues were being suspended when Trinamul MLAs had “physically humiliated” Dhankhar.

BJP meeting

The state BJP leadership will meet party MLAs on March 11 to discuss certain developments within the party, sources said. The MLAs have already alerted the leadership of some of their grievances through Suvendu Adhikari, the source added.

“We will discuss why unqualified people have been appointed as office-bearers across the state…,” the source said. The recent defection of several party leaders, the latest being Jay Prakash Majumdar, will also be discussed in the meeting. “These people don't want to go to Trinamul. But they have no other choice...People of Bengal are ready to uproot Trinamul. But our party isn’t ready to take the opportunity,” the source said.