BJP MLAs on Friday staged a walkout in the West Bengal Assembly on the issue of price rise of essential commodities.

The saffron party legislators also staged a demonstration at the gates of the assembly by holding placards denouncing the price rise.

Speaking on an adjournment motion moved by the BJP on price rise and the role of the West Bengal government, BJP legislator Narahari Mahato said the prices of potatoes, onions and other essential commodities were escalating despite a public announcement of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee that the hike will be checked.

"It is clear that the announcement made by the CM to check price rise is not being acted upon by the administration. The state has failed to curb the role of the middlemen," Mahato said.

As Agriculture Minister Sovandeb Chatterjee replied saying that potato was being sold at Rs 28 per kg, his claim was countered by Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari and other BJP MLAs.

Chatterjee later clarified before reporters that he meant to say that potato was being sold at Rs 28 per kg in 600 state-run essential commodities outlets (Sufal) and that has helped bring down prices of the tuber in other shops as well.

Claiming that the price rise was due to a spike in prices of petroleum products, Chatterjee said that the Union government has not taken steps to check price rise and even made the Essential Commodities Act redundant, making it difficult for the state to exercise its powers.

Mahato and other BJP MLAs, including Adhikari and BJP chief whip Shankar Ghosh, also alleged that state-owned and private power utilities were raising the tariff of power abnormally, affecting the common man.

To this, Chatterjee claimed that the power tariff of state power utility WBSEDCL was among the lowest in country, while private power utility in Kolkata, CESC, has been asked by the government to keep its slab rational and economical.

The Regulatory Commission fixes power tariffs and we have managed to keep the power tariff low, he said, while alleging that the Centre was not allowing Coal India to provide coal to thermal power plants in the state.

Power Minister Arup Biswas said that power tariffs have been increased in all BJP-ruled states but the tariff in West Bengal in areas under the state power utility WBSEDCL was Rs 7.12 per unit.

Dissatisfied with the reply of the government, around 30 BJP legislators who were present in the House staged a walkout holding empty paper plates with slogans such as 'Eto daam khabo ki?' (It's so expensive, what will we eat?).

The MLAs, led by Adhikari, protested outside the assembly gates.

"The minister is claiming in the House that potatoes are being sold at Rs 28 per kg but the actual price in the open market is not less than Rs 40 per kg. The government is turning a blind eye to the role of middlemen. The CM only believes in gallery show," BJP state general secretary and party MLA Agnimitra Paul said during the protest outside the assembly.

Meanwhile, as the car of TMC MLA Biswanath Das reached the assembly and passed by the agitating BJP MLAs, two of the saffron party legislators alleged that the vehicle grazed them.

BJP MLA Shankar Ghosh said, "This attitude of a TMC MLA shows the scant respect the state's ruling party has for the opposition and its peaceful democratic protest." Das, however, denied the claim of the BJP MLAs and asserted that the car moved very slowly as it passed by the crowd and the driver was careful enough not to graze anyone.

Asked about the BJP's walkout and protest, Speaker Biman Banerjee told reporters, "They had a political agenda. Otherwise why would they walk out and stage such protests when I allowed them to move the motion and there was discussion in the House."

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