Speaker Biman Banerjee has sent a letter to the city offices of the two central agencies
West Bengal Speaker Biman Bandyopadhyay today said he has summoned senior officers of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on September 22 to explain why no permission had been taken from the Speaker's office before submitting charge sheets against legislators of the state in recent times.
Biman Bandopadhyay said the Speaker's office was not kept in the loop and no permission was taken from it while initiating action against the elected representatives.
Several Bengal legislators from the ruling Trinamool Congress, including ministers, had been charge-sheeted and summoned in recent times by the two central probe agencies for the MLAs' alleged involvement in ponzi scams and the Narada sting footage case.
"I have sought an explanation from the CBI and ED why the speaker's office is not being informed while framing charge sheets against MLAs and summoning them. A letter has been sent to the city offices of the two central agencies," Biman Bandyopadhyay told news agency PTI.
"In the letter, I have asked the ED and CBI officers to come to the Assembly on September 22 and give an explanation as to why the Speaker's office was not provided any prior information and why action was taken without seeking any permission from me," he said.
TMC leaders like Sukhendu Sekhar Roy and Kunal Ghosh have maintained that the investigating agencies always inform the Speaker of the Lok Sabha for any such action against MPs but the practice is not followed when it comes to the MLAs in Bengal.
It is the rule to intimate the head of the House concerned before its member - MP, MLA or MLC is arrested, detained or convicted.