CPI-M to boycott remaining period of Tripura Assembly Budget session

Opposition CPI-M on Wednesday announced that they would boycott the remaining days of the ongoing Budget session of the Tripura Assembly to protest against Speaker Biswa Bandhu Sen's "partisan behaviour". 

The Tripura Assembly witnessed bedlam for the second day, and the opposition CPI-M members staged a walkout from the House over the "racist" remarks against Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Jitendra Chaudhury by state Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ratan Lal Nath.

The LoP moved a privilege motion against Minister Nath on Tuesday. However, the Speaker rejected the motion on Wednesday, saying that one privilege motion against CPI-M's Tripura mouthpiece 'Daily Desher Kath' was accepted, and as per the rule, two privilege motions cannot be accepted on the same day.

The privilege motion against 'Daily Desher Kath' was moved by Minister Nath.

During the Zero Hour, when the Speaker announced that he rejected the privilege motion moved by the LoP against Minister Nath, the opposition CPI-M members protested, leading to pandemonium in the House.

The CPI-M legislators rushed to the Well of the House and continued to protest the Speaker's decision. After a slogan-shouting protest, they walked out of the House for the day.

Later, the LoP told the media that they would boycott the remaining days of the Budget session of the Assembly, which is scheduled to end on April 1.

"The Assembly Speaker is violating the traditions, decorum and democratic spirit, playing a one-sided role. He is discharging the role of a treasury bench member, forgetting his impartial Speaker's role. The Speaker runs the House on the open dictation of the Parliamentary Affairs Minister," alleged Chaudhury, also a former minister and CPI-M Tripura state Secretary.

The LoP, accompanied by other Left legislators, claimed that the Speaker "unethically and illegally" rejected his privilege motion against Minister Nath and accepted the latter's privilege motion, though he (Chaudhury) first submitted it following the norms of the House.

Chaudhury said: "Whenever any opposition member raises any issue or corruption against the government or against any ruling party leader/minister, the mike of the concerned member shuts off and the ruling party members and ministers continue to disrupt the discussion, and the Speaker remains silent."

Tripura Assembly on Tuesday also witnessed bedlam, and the opposition CPI-M members staged a walkout from the House over the "racist" remarks against the LoP Chaudhury, also a senior tribal leader of the state.

Both the Speaker and Minister Nath, however, denied such comments, while Nath claimed that he did not have any intentions to hurt the opposition leader's tribe or community, he wanted to refer to the "mindset" of the CPI-M party.