As per rules Speakers accepted first privilege motion, says Minister Ratan Lal Nath

After political chaos has erupted in Tripura Assembly after Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ratan Lal Nath alleged ‘racist’ remark against leader of opposition (LoP) and subsequent privilege motion against minister on Tuesday by LoP,  Nath also filed a ‘Breach of Privilege’ motion against the editor of the local newspaper and CPI(M)’s mouthpiece  “Daily Desher Katha.”

The complaint has been submitted to the Speaker of the Tripura Legislative Assembly, Biswa Bandhu Sen accuses the newspaper of publishing a “misleading and deliberately motivated report” that distorts his remarks made during the Assembly session.

On Wednesday after the Speaker rejected the motion on Wednesday moved by LoP Jitendra Chaudhury, saying that one privilege motion against CPI-M's Tripura mouthpiece 'Daily Desher Kath' was accepted, and as per the rule, two privilege motions cannot be accepted on the same day. Then, CPI(M) on Wednesday announced that they would boycott the remaining days of the ongoing Budget session of the Tripura Assembly to protest against Speaker Biswa Bandhu Sen’s “partisan behaviour".

While, addressing a press conference at the Assembly Chamber, Minister Nath said that his ‘Breach of Privilege’ motion against the editor of the local newspaper and CPI(M)’s mouthpiece  “Daily Desher Katha” has been accepted by the office of the Speaker  at 12.10 PM of March 25, whereas the motion of the opposition leader accepted at 1.20 PM.

As per the rules, the Speaker has to accept one motion in one session and he will always consider the first motion, said Nath.

Minister Nath also said  that his remarks were not intended to be unparliamentary or offensive and he did not have any intentions to hurt the opposition leader's tribe or community, he wanted to refer to the "mindset" of the Communist.

However, he accused “Daily Desher Katha,” for twisting his words to give them a communal angle and claimed that the newspaper deliberately gave a communal angle, spreading a hateful provocation in a highly planned manner.

He said that the published report of ‘Daily Desher Katha’ has not only tarnished the dignity of the Legislative Assembly but has also caused personal defamation to him and violated his privilege.

Nath said that a boycott decision by the opposition team is not a parliamentary practice, if the predecessors of incumbent opposition leader like Manik Sarkar and others will not take such a decision.