Agartala, March 26, 2025: A political storm has erupted in Tripura as Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ratan Lal Nath filed a ‘Breach of Privilege’ motion against the editor of the local newspaper “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.
The controversy stems from Minister Nath’s comments during the budget discussion on March 24. Addressing the Leader of the Opposition, Jitendra Chaudhury, Nath remarked “উনার ভাষণে উনি জাত চিনিয়েছেন,” which translates to “In his speech, he has revealed his true nature.” To clarify his statement, Nath later added, “জিতেন্দ্র বাবু উনার ভাষায় কমিউনিস্টর জাত চিনিয়েছেন। আপনাকে এই জায়গায় আর দেখতে না, কারণ আপনি এই জায়গায় নাই,” meaning “Jitendra Babu has revealed the true nature of communists in his speech. I do not want to see you in this place anymore because you do not belong here.”
Minister Nath emphasized that his remarks were not intended to be unparliamentary or offensive. However, he accused “Daily Desher Katha,” a CPI(M) party mouthpiece, of twisting his words to give them a communal angle. “My words have been deliberately given a communal angle, spreading a hateful provocation in a highly planned manner,” Nath stated.
In his formal complaint, Nath argued that the newspaper’s report not only tarnished the dignity of the Legislative Assembly but also caused personal defamation and violated his privilege as a member of the Assembly. “The published report has not only tarnished the dignity of the Legislative Assembly but has also caused personal defamation to me and violated my privilege,” he wrote.
The Minister has attached copies of the newspaper report and relevant portions of the Assembly proceedings to substantiate his motion. He has urged the Speaker to take necessary action under Rule 173 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Tripura Legislative Assembly.
