5 Tripura MLAs suspended from assembly for 'disrupting' budget proceedings

Five MLAs were suspended from the Tripura assembly on Friday for "disrupting" the House proceedings, following which opposition parties staged a walkout, an official said.

Assembly Speaker Biswa Bandhu Sen suspended CPI(M) legislator Nayan Sarkar, Congress' Sudip Roy Barman and three Tipra Motha MLAs for the day for "creating disturbances" during the budget proceedings, he said.

The three suspended Tipra Motha legislators are Brishaketu Debbarma, Nandita Reang and Ranjit Debbarma.

Tipra Motha MLA Animesh Debbarma sought a discussion on the "misconduct" of BJP legislator Jadab Lal Nath who was allegedly caught watching pornography on his mobile phone in the assembly in March.

Debbarma wanted to bring an adjournment motion on the issue but the Speaker did not allow him to do so and asked Finance Minister Pranajit Singha Roy to place the state budget for the current fiscal.

Irked by the Speaker's decision, Tipra Motha lawmakers started the protest, demanding discussion on the Jadab Lal issue. CPI(M) and Congress MLAs also joined the agitation and rushed to the well of the House even as the finance minister continued the budget speech.

Opposition members later staged a walkout from the assembly to protest against the Speaker's decision.

The Speaker initially asked the opposition members to stop their protest inside the House and said he would reconsider the suspension but as they staged the walkout, Sen did not revise the order.