Kolkata Police summons 12 BJP MLAs in National Anthem disrespect case; check details

Shankar Ghosh, a BJP legislator from Siliguri, emphasized that the party's legislative group in West Bengal, in consultation with opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari, would decide their course of action.

Kolkata Police on Friday (December 1) issued summons to as many as 12 BJP MLAs regarding complaints lodged against them for disrespecting the National Anthem within the state Assembly premises. The summons demand their presence at the city police headquarters in Lalbazar central Kolkata on December 4, prompting discussions within the BJP ranks about their response to this notice.

Shankar Ghosh, a BJP legislator from Siliguri, emphasized that the party's legislative group in West Bengal, in consultation with opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari, would decide their course of action. Ghosh accused the ruling Trinamool Congress of a concerted effort with the city police, hinting at potential legal recourse.

Amidst this, Trinamool Congress signaled intentions to possibly introduce a motion during the ongoing winter session in the Assembly, aiming to denounce the BJP legislators' alleged disrespect toward the National Anthem.

The issue arose following an FIR filed against the 12 BJP lawmakers at Hare Street Police Station in central Kolkata. The complaint, filed by three Trinamool Congress legislators, asserted that the BJP leaders disrupted the National Anthem by chanting "thieves, thieves" slogans within the state Assembly premises during a Trinamool Congress event.