Bengal: 8 BJP MLAs quit as House panel heads to protest Roy's appointment

Eight BJP legislators on Tuesday

resigned as heads of various Assembly panels in protest against MLA Mukul Roy's appointment as the chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari objected to Roy's elevation, arguing that the MLA, who had crossed over to the ruling TMC last month after winning the polls on a BJP ticket, cannot be considered a legislator of the saffron camp.

As per norms, a legislator of the main opposition party is made the PAC chairperson, and Roy hasn't quit as a BJP MLA in the House, despite switching camps.

Manoj Tigga, one of the saffron camp legislators, said after resigning from a standing committee that "Roy's appointment is undemocratic and a naked display of partisan politics. In protest, we have decided to step down..."

Led by Adhikari, the eight MLAs, including Mihir Goswami, Bhisma Prasad Sharma and Tigga, later visited Raj Bhavan to apprise Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar of the "blatant violation of ...