HC dismisses Kunal Ghosh's plea for permission to speak in assembly

The Calcutta high court on Friday dismissed a petition by TMC MLA Kunal Ghosh seeking an opportunity to participate in West Bengal Assembly debates, observing that he has to resolve the issue in the House itself.

Dismissing the petition of Ghosh, who belongs to the minority faction of the opposition Trinamool Congress, Justice Krishna Rao said this court cannot pass any order directing either the Speaker or the whip of the Assembly to give an opportunity of hearing to the petitioner.

The court observed that if the petitioner is aggrieved with giving an opportunity to speak, he has to resolve the issue in the Assembly itself.

Justice Rao observed that Article 212 of the Constitution bars this court from entertaining any such allegation, holding that the petition of Ghosh is as such not maintainable.

Justice Rao said that Ghosh can raise his grievances before the Assembly.

The court noted that the grievance of petitioner Kunal Ghosh, the Trinamool Congress MLA from Beleghata constituency in Kolkata, is that he is not being allowed by the Speaker to raise any query at the time of debates in the House. -- PTI