As if the whole winter session washout in both Houses of Indian Parliament was not a poor enough display of parliamentary practices in Indian democracy, a TMC MLA ran away with the Speaker’s mace on Monday in Tripura assembly.
However, this is not the first such incident.
Media reports on the same, say that such an incident was witnessed twice in the Tripura assembly since 1972 when it became a part of the Indian parliamentary system.
The ruckus was initiated when opposition MLAs from the Congress and the TMC asked for a discussion on allegations of sexual abuse against the state Forest Minister Naresh Jamatia.
After the Speaker Ramendra Chandra Debnath, did not allow any discussion on the issue, former Leader of Opposition Sudip Roy Barman snatched away the ceremonial mace.
Moments later he was halted by the Watch-and-Ward staff, led by the Marshal out of the house and the mace was put back into its place.
“Barman raised a womanising issue during Zero Hour without any prior notice. Then the opposition members came to the well of the house and started shouting slogans.
“Suddenly, Barman ran out of the house with the mace. He should not have done it,” the Speaker told reporters in his chamber after he adjourned the House for three hours.
Later, after the house resumed, the Speaker said, “This is against parliamentary traditions, practice and procedure.”
Sex abuse allegations against the Forest Minister surfaced after an expelled tribal leader of the ruling CPI (M) told a local newspaper that the minister was one of the Left leaders who allegedly committed sexual crimes.
The expelled leader Kishore Jamatia who is also a member of Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council further alleged that the minster conspired against other leaders of the CPI (M) for personal gains.