West Bengal assembly speaker Biman Banerjee confirmed that a request was received and that the matter was under consideration
KOLKATA: West Bengal assembly speaker Biman Banerjee on Wednesday said vice president Jagdeep Dhankhar has conveyed his interest in addressing the state legislative assembly and the matter was under consideration.
“No vice president has ever addressed the Bengal assembly. An official from the vice president’s office came to Kolkata recently to meet me. He said the vice president has expressed his eagerness to address our members. Once the ongoing budget session is over, a special session may be convened. The matter is under consideration,” Banerjee told reporters.
The vice president’s office has not commented on the speaker’s statement.
Dhankhar was Bengal governor from 30 July 2019 to 18 July 2022 before his elevation as vice president.
As Bengal governor, Dhankhar had an acrimonious relationship with the Mamata Banerjee-led government and the Trinamool Congress which had, at one point, sought Dhankhar’s removal from the governor’s post and accused him of being a mouthpiece of the Bharatiya Janata Party.
TMC leaders did not comment on the matter.
TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said “This is a government matter. The speaker and the state will decide what to do”.
Suvendu Adhikari, the leader of the opposition in the assembly, said: “As governor, he fought for the rights of common people of Bengal. I will request the vice president not to read out a speech prepared by the TMC government.”
CPI(M) central committee member Sujan Chakraborty took a swipe at the TMC and the vice president.
“TMC ensured his victory in the contest for the vice president’s chair by staying away from the voting process. Probably he wants to express his gratitude,” said Chakraborty.
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