Tripura Assembly Speaker suspended Congress MLA for entire session for ‘derogatory remarks’

Agartala, July 7 (IANS) Tripura assembly Speaker Biswa Bandhu Sen on Friday suspended Congress MLA and former Minister Sudip Roy Barman for the entire budget session for making “derogatory remarks against ministers and treasury bench members.”

In the second half of the opening day session of Tripura assembly, Roy Barman while participating in a discussion, taking permission of the Speaker while narrating a story, without naming any minister and MLA, said “dog barking much more than his master” triggering a section of  ministers and MLAs furious.

The agitated ministers and MLAs demanded the Speaker to expunge Roy Barman’s comments from the assembly records and told the Congress MLA to withdraw his “derogatory remarks”.

Six term MLA Roy Barman remained firm on his position and refused to withdraw his remarks. Afterwards the Chief Minister Manik Saha proposed to suspend him for the entire session (till July 13) and the Speaker announced accordingly.

On the request of the Speaker, Roy Barman, also a former BJP MLA and Minister who joined Congress in February last year, walked out from the house.

Opposition leader Animesh Debbarma and CPI-M legislature party leader Jitendra Choudhury opposed the Speaker’s decision.

Earlier on Friday, Tripura assembly Speaker suspended five opposition MLAs, including Roy Barman, for the day for disrupting proceedings of the opening day of the budget session.

However, the suspension was withdrawn in the second half by the Speaker.

Opposition members of Tipra Motha Party (TMP), CPI-M and the Congress -- staged walkout protesting the Speaker’s decision while demanding disciplinary action against BJP MLA Jadab Lal Debnath, who was caught on camera watching an obscene video on his mobile phone while the Tripura Assembly session was going on in March.

The unprecedented bedlam began as soon as the house assembled and Finance Minister Pranajit Singha Roy started presenting the annual budget for 2023-24 financial year.

All the members of the TMP, CPI-M and the Congress led by their leaders went to the well of the house and started shouting demanding action against Debnath and the noisy scene continued for over 40 minutes before the Chief Minister Manik Saha named five MLAs to suspend them for the day.

The Speaker immediately announced the suspension of five MLAs – Sudip Roy Barman (Congress), Nayan Sarrkar (CPI-M) and Brishaketu Debbarma, Nandita Reang and Ranjit Debbarma, all TMP – and asked the watch and ward staff to remove them from the house.
Due to the pandemonium, proceedings of the house were disrupted for more than an hour.  

Earlier, before the beginning of the proceedings of the house opposition leader Animesh Debbarma moved an adjournment motion to discuss Debnath’s issue but the Speaker rejected the motion triggering escalating the protests of the lawmakers.

Congress MLA Roy Barman after entering into the house sprinkled Ganga water on the table and floor of the house “in a bid to purify the assembly premises.”

Earlier, Debnath watching an obscene video while the session was going-on, went viral on social media, drawing sharp criticism from all quarters.

The 55-year-old leader, who is also the secretary of BJP’s Tripura state unit, however said that when he received a phone call then a site was automatically opened and he immediately closed it.