Ruling alliance partner in Tripura, Tipra Motha Party (TMP) MLAs raised allegations against Assembly Speaker Rampada Jamatia and accused him of allegedly denying TMP MLAs a fair opportunity to raise questions in the House. The legislators warned of leaving the Assembly if the alleged bias continues.
Key Takeaways:
- Ruling alliance partner Tipra Motha Party MLAs alleged bias against Speaker Rampada Jamatia over question listing.
- TMP legislators warned they may consider leaving the House if the alleged discrimination continues.
- Parliamentary Affairs Minister proposed an inquiry, while the Speaker assured the MLAs that the allegations would be examined.
Tipra Motha Party (TMP) MLAs, a crucial partner in the BJP-led ruling alliance in Tripura, have raised allegations of bias against Assembly Speaker Rampada Jamatia over the listing of questions.
The legislators claimed that questions submitted by TMP members were repeatedly placed towards the end of the list. They said this denied their MLAs adequate opportunities to raise issues before the House.
The allegation has created an unusual situation within the ruling arrangement. TMP is not an opposition party in Tripura but it is a key ally of the BJP-led government.
TMP Alleges Bias Against Its MLAs
The TMP legislators questioned the manner in which questions were being accepted and listed in the Assembly.
They claimed that their questions were consistently appearing towards the end of the list despite being submitted through the prescribed process.
The MLAs said they had waited through three days of proceedings. They expected at least one TMP member to get an opportunity to ask a question.
However, they alleged that their members continued to face limited opportunities.
The legislators questioned whether the same procedure was being applied equally to all members.
They also urged the Speaker to verify the records relating to question submissions.
TMP MLA Biswajit Kalai and others suggested that the Assembly should properly record the time when every question is submitted. Such a record, the member said, would establish the actual sequence of submissions.
The TMP MLAs argued that their questions should be listed according to the established procedure rather than being repeatedly placed towards the end.
Ruling Ally Questions Speaker
The TMP legislators also directly questioned the neutrality of the Speaker.
One member said they had faith in Jamatia but expected him to maintain neutrality while occupying the Chair.
The member said continued alleged discriminatory treatment would affect their trust in the Speaker.
The legislators stressed that they represent people at the grassroots level. They said many of the issues they seek to raise concern villages and rural communities.
According to the TMP members, elected representatives require sufficient opportunities to place such concerns before the Assembly.
The allegations against the Speaker therefore became the central point of the exchange.
TMP Warns of Leaving House
The TMP MLAs issued a stronger warning if the alleged bias continues.
They indicated that they may consider leaving the House during proceedings.
The warning underlined the seriousness of their grievance as a ruling alliance partner.
The legislators said they respect the Speaker and the institution of the Assembly. At the same time, they insisted that the Chair must ensure equal treatment for all elected members.
Their position was that they were not seeking preferential treatment. They wanted their questions to receive fair consideration under the existing Assembly procedure.
The warning has added pressure on the ruling alliance to address the concerns raised by TMP legislators.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Proposes Inquiry
Parliamentary Affairs Minister subsequently proposed an inquiry into the allegations raised by the TMP MLAs.
The proposal could help determine whether the questions submitted by TMP members were listed in accordance with the prescribed procedure.
It could also establish whether the order of submission was correctly reflected in the question list.
The inquiry proposal came as TMP legislators continued to press their allegation against the Speaker.
The move is significant because the issue involves a ruling alliance partner questioning the functioning of the Assembly Chair.
Rather than dismissing the allegations, the proposal provides a mechanism to examine the claims through Assembly records and established procedures.
Speaker Denies Discrimination
Speaker Rampada Jamatia defended the question-listing process.
He said the Assembly follows a systematic procedure for receiving and listing questions.
According to the Speaker, questions are arranged based on their order of submission.
He also said members should ensure that the submission time is recorded when questions are handed over.
Jamatia rejected the allegation of discriminatory treatment.
He assured the TMP members that he would examine their allegations.
The Speaker also pointed out that MLAs have the option of submitting questions through the online system.
Dispute Within Ruling Alliance
The controversy carries political significance because the allegations have come from TMP, a crucial partner of the BJP-led ruling alliance.
The issue is therefore not a conventional confrontation between the government and opposition.
Instead, a ruling alliance partner has raised concerns over the functioning of the Assembly and alleged that its legislators are not receiving adequate opportunities to participate.
TMP has also warned of stronger action if the alleged bias continues.
The Parliamentary Affairs Minister proposal for an inquiry could now provide an opportunity to establish the facts.
The Speaker has said he will examine the allegations. The focus will now remain on the question-listing process and whether the concerns raised by the ruling alliance partner are addressed.
