Tripura opposition stages walkout over minister's racial remarks

In Tripura, the opposition Communist Party of India (Marxist), known as CPM, walked out of the state assembly on Tuesday. They were protesting remarks made by parliamentary affairs minister Ratan Lal Nath that were considered racially insensitive. This incident occurred during the budget session while opposition leader Jitendra Chaudhury was discussing concerns about another minister. Chaudhury questioned the source of wealth of an individual who was recently honored by the chief minister. The individual had worked as a daily-rated worker before 2018 and previously held a Below Poverty Line card. Nath reacted to Chaudhury's comments with anger, leading to a heated exchange. He allegedly suggested that Chaudhury was highlighting his tribal identity inappropriately. The deputy leader of the opposition, Shyamal Chakraborty, criticized Nath for his comments, claiming they were discriminatory. He stated that attacking someone based on their community or caste is unconstitutional and demanded an apology from Nath. The situation escalated as Nath defended his statements, accusing the CPM of negativity and trying to provoke local people. Chaudhury responded by condemning Nath’s behavior, describing it as "hooliganism." This remark led to further tensions, and the assembly Speaker asked Chaudhury to retract the term, which he refused to do. Following this, CPM members decided to leave the assembly. They also filed a formal complaint against Nath, calling his remarks derogatory and racially offensive.