Kolkata:

West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar prorogued the state assembly from Monday, and observed that in the country’s parliamentary history, an assembly has never been in session for over a year without being prorogued.

Prorogation is discontinuing a session of the Parliament or a legislative assembly without dissolving it.

In a Twitter post, Mr Dhankhar said he prorogued the assembly from February 15, taking note of a recommendation by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

“Never earlier in parliamentary history of this country an assembly has been in session for over a year without being prorogued,” Mr Dhankhar tweeted.

“In the process wholesome practices including Governor address in first session @MamataOfficial could not take place thereby depriving vital discussion,” he said in the tweet.

Never earlier in parliamentary history of this country an assembly has been in session for over a year without being prorogued. In the process wholesome practices including Governor address in first session @MamataOfficial could not take place thereby depriving vital discussion. https://t.co/TV2M6rqiqI

– Governor West Bengal Jagdeep Dhankhar (@jdhankhar1) February 15, 2021

A two-day special session of the West Bengal Assembly was held from January 27 when the state government tabled a resolution against the centre’s new farm laws and discuss the issue of agitating farmers.

The governor was not invited to address the session on the first day of the sitting of the assembly this year.

Facing criticism from opposition leaders for this, Speaker Biman Banerjee had said that no irregularity was committed as there is no provision for the address of the governor if a sitting is a continuation of a previous session even if it is in a new year.

The Speaker had said that the sitting was continuation of a session that was adjourned in September 2020 sine die and was reconvened from January 27 on a request by the government for conduct of important businesses.