Agartala; A heated argument erupted between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and opposition Congress MLAs in the Tripura Legislative Assembly on Thursday. The dispute began when Congress MLA Gopal Chandra Roy demanded Speaker Biswabandhu Sen’s intervention in bringing the principal opposition party, Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPIM), back to the House.
The CPIM had announced a boycott of the remaining business days of the ongoing Budget session, accusing Speaker Biswabandhu Sen of playing a partisan role. The boycott was sparked by the Speaker’s rejection of a privilege motion moved by Leader of Opposition Jitendra Chaudhury against Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ratan Lal Nath for his alleged racial slur.
Chief Minister Prof. Dr. Manik Saha appealed to the CPIM to return to the House, but Speaker Biswabandhu Sen pointed out that the decision ultimately rested with the Leader of the Opposition, Jitendra Chaudhury. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ratan Lal Nath defended the Speaker, arguing that the LoP had accused and disrespected him.
Meanwhile, Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman thanked the Chief Minister for his appeal and emphasized that the Speaker should invite the LoP to his chamber to resolve the issue. However, Tripura Tourism Minister Sushanta Chowdhury criticized Roy Barman’s appeal, accusing him of showing sympathy for the CPIM, which he deemed “totally undemocratic”.
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