Agartala, March 26 – Left legislators staged a protest at the foot of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar’s statue within the Tripura Assembly premises, voicing their objections against what they called constitutional violations by Speaker Bishwabandhu Sen. The demonstration was led by Opposition Leader Jitendra Choudhury, who accused the Speaker of abusing his authority to shield Parliamentary Minister Ratan Lal Nath from scrutiny.
Choudhury claimed that a breach of privilege motion had been submitted against Minister Nath over identity-related remarks. However, he alleged that no response had been provided by the Speaker until the evening prior, prompting further concerns about transparency and accountability in the proceedings. The Opposition Leader also accused the minister of attempting to manipulate documents late at night, a claim that he argued was supported by the Speaker’s subsequent acceptance of another breach of privilege motion filed by Nath.
According to Choudhury, these actions demonstrated a clear disregard for democratic principles and fairness, leading the opposition to decide on boycotting the ongoing assembly session. He expressed deep dissatisfaction with the Speaker’s role, accusing him of suppressing opposition voices and undermining the sanctity of the legislative process. Choudhury characterized the current budget session as one of the most difficult in the assembly’s history, primarily due to the Speaker’s alleged partisanship and failure to ensure impartiality.
The protest reflects the growing tensions between the ruling BJP and opposition parties in Tripura, particularly regarding the perceived erosion of democratic processes in the state legislature. The boycott by the opposition is likely to escalate the political standoff, drawing attention to concerns over the transparency of the state’s governance and the functioning of its assembly.
