Kolkata, Jul 22: Two newly elected Trinamool Congress MLAs, who were sworn in by the West Bengal Assembly Speaker recently, on Monday said they received mails from Raj Bhavan questioning the legality of the process and asking them to pay a fine of Rs 500 each.
Speaker Biman Banerjee had administered the oath to two MLAs - Rayat Hossain Sarkar and Sayantika Banerjee - on July 5 in the assembly, though the Governor had appointed Deputy Speaker Asish Banerjee for the task.
Sarkar said the mails informed the two that a fine of Rs 500 was imposed on each of them since, it alleged, their oath-taking and attending assembly session on its first day violated Constitutional norms.
The 10-day session of the House began on Monday and was adjourned after obituary references.
Sayantika Banerjee told PTI: "We have met the Speaker and showed him the mail. He said the Speaker's office is looking into the issue. We understand we have no problem in attending the session as elected representatives after taking oath in the temple of democracy – the state legislature.
To a question, she said she would continue to attend the assembly session.
sked if she had paid the fine, Banerjee said, "Why should I? Have we done anything illegal or improper?
The emails said that when the Constitutional head of the state designated someone to administer the oath to the MLAs, the Speaker had no jurisdiction in the matter.
The mails also alleged that several clauses were violated by the two newly elected MLAs by taking oath under the Speaker and attending the House session.
While Raj Bhavan sources confirmed that such emails were sent to the MLAs concerned, the Speaker could not be contacted for his comments.
The swearing-in of Sarkar and Sayantika Bandopadhyay on July 5 ended the month-long impasse between Raj Bhavan and the assembly over the venue of the ceremony and the administering authority.
On July 4, Governor Bose authorised Deputy Speaker Asish Banerjee to administer the oath in the assembly, retracting his earlier stance that the MLAs would be sworn in at Raj Bhavan.
However, during the one-day special session, Deputy Speaker Asish Banerjee declined to administer the oath, citing that it would be inappropriate in the presence of the Speaker.
"The constitutional transgression has been done in spite of Hon’ble Governor appointing Deputy Speaker as the person before whom the two newly elected MLAs shall make and subscribe an oath or affirmation," a statement from Raj Bhavan said on July 5.
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Pune, Feb 10 (PTI): Amidst high drama, former Maharashtra minister Tanaji Sawant’s son Rishiraj was brought back to Pune along with two friends on late Monday evening, cutting short their trip to Bangkok, hours after police filed a kidnapping case, officials said.
According to Ranjan Kumar Sharma, joint commissioner of police, Rishiraj Sawant (32) and his two friends had booked a chartered plane for Bangkok without informing his family, but an anonymous phone call spoilt their travel plans.
After police registered a kidnapping case following the anonymous call made to the control room, his whereabouts were traced and he was brought back to Pune along with his friends, he said at a hurriedly convened press conference.
"Our police control room received a call around 4 pm in which an anonymous caller informed us that Rishiraj was taken away by some unidentified people. Accordingly, we swung into action and registered a kidnapping offence.
"During the probe, it was revealed Rishiraj along with his two friends had booked a chartered plane for Bangkok. We tracked the flight and contacted the airline for the aircraft's return. The flight has now returned to Pune with three passengers, including Rishiraj," informed Sharma.
"We will enquire and find out the purpose of his trip to Bangkok and why he did not inform the family about his travel plans," the police officer said.
While replying to a question, Tanaji Sawant, who was present at the police briefing, denied any dispute with his son.
According to police sources, the flight to the Thailand capital was booked for Rs 78 lakh.
The former minister said he contacted police after coming to know his son had left for the airport with friends without informing the family.
A week ago, Rishiraj Sawant had gone to Dubai, but this trip was known to family members, said the senior politician.
Asked about the police machinery going into an overdrive to trace his son and bring him back, the former minister maintained was worried as a father.
Joint commissioner of police Sharma said the anonymous call indicated Rishiraj Sawant was taken away by unidentified people and on that basis, an FIR of kidnapping was registered.
The IPS officer opined that in such cases, things do not proceed unless an FIR is registered and that is why police moved quickly and filed an offence.