Agartala: Mar 26: In a press conference today, opposition leader Jitendra Choudhury of the CPI(M) strongly condemned Speaker Bishwabandhu Sen for suppressing the voices of the opposition in the Tripura Assembly, accusing him of undermining democracy. Choudhury declared that the CPI(M) had decided to boycott the remaining days of the ongoing budget session due to the Speaker’s actions, which he claimed amounted to a “slaughter” of democracy in the assembly. He further labeled the ongoing budget session as a “tainted chapter” in the state’s history under the BJP government.
Choudhury highlighted the tradition of allowing at least one hour for budget discussions, even during his tenure as an MP or when the CPI(M) was in power in Tripura, which gave the opposition a platform to critique the government. However, during the ongoing session, he alleged that government officials were involved in corruption, including kickbacks and looting of public wealth. This led to a heated exchange with Parliamentary Minister Ratan Lal Nath, who made derogatory remarks, prompting Choudhury to issue a breach of privilege notice against him.
The controversy deepened when Speaker Bishwabandhu Sen accepted the breach of privilege notice submitted by Minister Ratan Lal Nath, claiming it was the first one filed, despite Choudhury asserting that his notice had been submitted earlier. Choudhury accused the Speaker of dishonoring the assembly and siding with the ruling BJP. He alleged that the Speaker had become a “referee” for the BJP, distorting the truth to favor the ruling party and suppressing dissent.
Choudhury concluded by reaffirming that CPI(M) legislators would continue their fight within the assembly, despite the Speaker’s actions, in defense of public interests and democracy.
