WB Raj Bhavan fines two TMC MLAs over assembly swearing-in row

KOLKATA: 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.