Tripura Assembly witnesses ruckus over adoption of congratulatory motion thanking PM Modi

Agartala: Tripura Assembly on Thursday witnessed massive pandemonium as the opposition Congress and CPI-M members staged a walkout in protest against the adoption of a congratulatory motion in the house thanking Narendra Modi for becoming Prime Minister for the third consecutive term and the people participating in the recent 18th Lok Sabha elections in large numbers.

The motion, moved by Assembly Speaker Biswa Bandhu Sen, also congratulated the newly elected Lok Sabha members and thanked the candidates who participated in the country-wide parliamentary elections.

In the reference period, as soon as the Speaker started to read out the motion, Leader of Opposition Jitendra Chaudhury objected to the move and was supported by other CPI-M and by three Congress MLAs.

A former minister and ex-Lok Sabha member, Chaudhury, who is also the CPI-M legislature party leader, told the Speaker that such a political motion must be decided in the Business Advisory Committee meeting and the draft of the motion must be finalised in the BAC meeting.

After a long altercation between the combined opposition members and the Speaker and treasury bench, all the CPI-M and the Congress MLAs rushed to the well and they were at once encircled by the watch and ward staff of the Assembly.

Following a ruckus in the well, all the opposition Congress and CPI-M members walked out of the house.

After the opposition members walked out, the Speaker read out the motion and it was later adopted.

Parliamentary Affairs and Agriculture Minister Ratan Lal Nath told the house that the congratulatory motion would be sent to the Union government.

The motion said that in the 18th Lok Sabha elections, 65.79 per cent of voters participated and expressed their independent opinions to elect representatives to Parliament.

“This Assembly extends its heartfelt greetings and congratulations to the electorate, all the elected representatives of the newly formed 18th Lok Sabha, and the newly formed central government,” it said.

The motion said that the NDA coalition led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi formed a stable and strong Union government for the third consecutive time and the country's electorate has once again shown their full faith and confidence over the exemplary leadership of the Prime Minister.

The motion said that since 2014, the NDA Government's commitment to public welfare, innovation, and national unity has been consistently evident and the entire country is reaping the benefits.

“We are confident that under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Modi, India will certainly reach the pinnacle of progress as a developed nation. Additionally, India's position in the world will be further solidified and strengthened under his leadership,” the two-page motion read.