Tripura CPIM boycotts budget session over Speaker's alleged misuse of power

Accusing Tripura Legislative Assembly Speaker Biswabandhu Sen of misusing his power and not following Assembly rules and procedures, the principal opposition CPIM on Wednesday decided to boycott the entire session of the ongoing Budget session.  

The Tripura Budget session 2025-26 started on March 21 and will continue till April 1.  

Earlier, during the first hour of the Assembly on Wednesday, when CPIM raised the privilege motion moved by Leader of Opposition Jitendra Chaudhury against Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ratan Lal Nath for his alleged racial slur against the LoP, the Speaker said he couldn’t take more than one privilege motion as the minister had filed one before the LoP did. Following this, the CPIM protested in the well and walked out of the House.  

Later, addressing a press conference, Tripura Leader of Opposition Jitendra Chaudhury said that this day in the Tripura Legislative Assembly would be marked as the darkest chapter in history.  

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“When I was an MP in Parliament and even in the Tripura Assembly when we were in power and Congress was in opposition, a minimum of one hour or more used to be allotted to discuss the Budget, as the opposition would highlight the government’s mistakes and provide suggestions. But on March 24, when I was ready to discuss the Budget, the treasury bench worked to prevent me from speaking, to gag my voice. The Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Ratan Lal Nath, said that the LoP couldn’t speak for more than 35 minutes, which was supposed to be directed by the Speaker. However, when I started speaking and had spoken for around 30 minutes, the minister started shouting at me to stop. As a result, I couldn’t continue and concluded. Later when I started speaking again about corruption and the BJP ministers’ and MLA’s links, the Parliamentary Affairs Minister said, ‘Jiten Babu has proved his caste,’” alleged the LoP.  

He said that the Speaker defended the Minister, claiming he didn’t say anything.  

“And then I moved a privilege motion against the Minister. We saw no response from the Minister's side until the evening. The minister was in the Assembly till 11 PM last night, trying to manipulate some documents. However, today, the Speaker said he had received another privilege motion from the Minister, which his PA received before mine. The Speaker has shown how to kill democracy by making false statements and claiming he can’t take more than one privilege motion. Subsequently, the Speaker rejected my privilege motion. He is not maintaining the rules of the Assembly and its procedures. He has been working to suppress the opposition. However, we have decided to boycott the entire Assembly session,” he added.