A consent refusal from the Raj Bhavan to table two Bills aimed at hiking salaries of ministers and legislators of the state brought the state government’s unprecedented move to convene a single-day special session of the Assembly in the middle of the auspicious Devi Paksh to a naught.

The special session, called with an intention to introduce and pass amendments to The West Bengal Salaries and Allowance Act, 1952 for upward revision of salaries of ministers in state cabinet and the Bengal Legislative Assembly (Member Amusements) Act, 1937 for hike in salaries of MLAs, was adjourned within 10 minutes after holding an obituary session for a former CPI-M legislator who recently passed away. The Bills, now introduced in the Assembly by parliamentary affairs minister Shovandeb Chattopadhyay and junior finance minister Chandrima Bhattacharya, are likely to be discussed on December 4 after the House assembles for the winter session.

BJP MLAs were seen throwing a fit on the floor of the House after the session was adjourned. Protesting the adjournment which frustrated their plans to officially register their opposition to the proposed salary revision, the protesting MLAs ripped off copies of the Bills which were circulated to them. Once out of the floor, the BJP legislators also held a demonstration at the Assembly portico and shouted slogans.

While the state maintained that the discussion was postponed in the wake of the news of the former MLAs demise, Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari insisted that the ruling dispensation had no choice but to avail an escape route since Governor CV Ananda Bose had not given his approval to table the Bills.

While ordinary Bills are tabled in the Assembly first and, following their passage, then sent to the Governor for assent to implement them as Acts or law, it is mandatory to have the Governor’s prior consent to introduce Bills which have financial implications like the ones in question. Finance Bills, once tabled and passed in the Assembly, then follow the usual drill and are again sent to the Governor for assent. Uncertainty over passing of amendments to the said Bills in the one-day special session arose since Sunday evening after it came to light that Raj Bhavan had issues with them and Bose has refused consent for introduction.

“The state had no option but to postpone the discussions. The Governor had not given his consent to introduce the Bills, yet the government has done it illegally. I am stating this with responsibility. They dragged us to the Assembly House in the middle of the festivities when our MLAs are busy with public relations. Are we servants of Mamata Banerjee?” Adhikari roared. The BJP had earlier expressed its intention to skip the session but took a U-turn on Sunday evening and confirmed the presence of its MLAs in the House to officially register their protest.

The initiative to upwardly revise the salaries of ministers and MLAs was taken by the state following chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s announcement of plans in the last Assembly session to execute the same in quick time. The government has proposed a monthly hike of Rs 40,000 across the board for both MLAs and ministers.

Questioning the urgency to call a one day session for this purpose when Pujas are knocking at the door, Adhikari called it a “ploy to hurt Hindu sentiments”. “This is an attempt to hurt the Hindu Bengalis. Today is the second day of Navaratri when Hindus observe a fast. And they have deliberately dragged us to the Assembly today,” Adhikari complained while entering the premises earlier in the day.

He also questioned the government’s unprecedented decision to keep liquor shops open on Ashtami. “Bengalis eat vegetarian food on Ashtami. Even the Britishers kept wine shops closed on that day,” the LoP said. “We are not interested in salary hikes. We want the government to clear the pending DA amount of employees who are sitting in protest for a long time. We want the government to increase MLA funds for local area development work from the current Rs 60 lakh per annum which is a pittance,” Adhikari argued.