TIPRA Motha MLAs Ranjit Debbarma and Nandita Reang standing on the table on the assembly
In a dramatic turn of events during the opening day of the Tripura assembly’s budget session, Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman has been suspended for the entire session by Speaker Biswa Bandhu Sen. The suspension comes after Roy Barman made derogatory remarks against ministers and treasury bench members.
During a discussion in the assembly, Roy Barman, without naming any specific individuals, used the phrase “dog barking much more than his master,” triggering fury among certain ministers and MLAs. Despite demands to withdraw his remarks, Roy Barman remained firm, leading to the Chief Minister Manik Saha proposing his suspension, which was subsequently announced by the Speaker.
Roy Barman, a six-term MLA and former BJP member who joined Congress last year, complied with the Speaker’s decision and voluntarily walked out of the assembly session. The move drew opposition from Animesh Debbarma, the leader of the opposition, and Jitendra Choudhury, the CPI-M legislature party leader, who opposed the Speaker’s decision.
Earlier on the same day, the Speaker had temporarily suspended five opposition MLAs, including Roy Barman, for disrupting the proceedings of the budget session. However, their suspension was later withdrawn.
The decision to suspend Roy Barman has fueled tensions, with opposition members from the Tipra Motha Party (TMP), CPI-M, and the Congress staging a walkout in protest. They demanded disciplinary action against BJP MLA Jadab Lal Debnath, who was caught on camera watching an obscene video during a previous session.
The chaotic scenes unfolded as Finance Minister Pranajit Singha Roy presented the annual budget for the 2023-24 financial year. The opposition members, led by their respective leaders, stormed the well of the house, shouting for action against Debnath. The disruption lasted for over 40 minutes before the Chief Minister named five MLAs, including Roy Barman, for suspension.
The suspension of the MLAs led to more than an hour of disruptions in the assembly proceedings. An adjournment motion proposed by opposition leader Animesh Debbarma to discuss the Debnath incident was rejected by the Speaker, further escalating the protests.
Prior to entering the assembly, Roy Barman symbolically sprinkled Ganga water on the table and floor, aiming to “purify” the premises. The incident involving Debnath watching an obscene video during a session had gone viral on social media, drawing widespread criticism.
Debnath, who is also the secretary of the BJP’s Tripura state unit, claimed that an automatic site opened when he received a phone call, and he promptly closed it. The incident raised concerns and attracted condemnation from various quarters.
The suspension of Roy Barman and the subsequent disruptions have set the stage for intense debates and discussions in the remaining days of the Tripura assembly’s budget session.
