Left walks out over newspaper ban, to meet Bengal governor

Kolkata, March 29 (IANS) The opposition Left Front staged a walkout from the West Bengal assembly for the third consecutive day Thursday after its adjournment motion on the newspaper ban issue was disallowed.

"Our move for adjournment motion against the government order banning mass circulating dailies from state libraries was disallowed. We are not being given an opportunity to discuss the order," Leader of Opposition Surjya Kanta Mishra said after coming out of the house.

Mishra, a senior Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader, said a Left delegation will meet Governor M.K. Narayanan Thursday and hand him a memorandum to protest not only the circular but also another order by the government which takes away the financial powers of the sabhadhipatis of the Left Front-run Nadia, North 24 Parganas and Murshidabad district zilla parishads.

"The order banning the newspapers is the latest attack on democracy. We cannot and will not accept this and our protest against it will continue. We will meet the governor (M. K. Narayanan) and give a memorandum against the order," added Mishra.

The March 14 circular which banned all leading dailies except eight vernacular newspapers in state-funded libraries purportedly to promote "free thinking" among readers has been criticised by one and all, including renowned filmmaker Mrinal Sen and writer Mahasweta Devi.