Agartala, March 25, 2025: A political storm erupted in the Tripura Legislative Assembly on Tuesday as the principal opposition party, CPIM, staged a walkout in protest against an alleged racial remark made by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ratan Lal Nath against Leader of Opposition Jitendra Chaudhury.

The controversy arose from an incident on Monday evening when, during a budget discussion, Nath allegedly remarked that Chaudhury had “proved his caste,” a statement CPIM strongly condemned as unacceptable. Raising the issue in the Assembly on Tuesday, CPIM MLA Shayamal Chakraborty said, “A senior leader like the Parliamentary Affairs Minister should not have made such a remark. He could have spoken about our party’s ideology, but instead, he chose to bring caste into the debate. This is unacceptable, and we demand an immediate withdrawal of his words.”

However, the demand met with resistance. Speaker Biswabandhu Sen intervened, stating that the issue could not be raised at that moment. “You can’t change the topic like this. This is not the right way,” he told CPIM legislators.

Defending himself, Ratan Lal Nath accused the opposition of inciting division. “Are you trying to provoke the indigenous people? The people of this state are aware of CPIM’s negative campaigns. We are not indulging in hooliganism; you are,” Nath retorted.

The heated exchange escalated when Leader of Opposition Jitendra Chaudhury responded, “This is not culture; this is hooliganism.” The Speaker immediately intervened and directed the withdrawal of the term “hooliganism.” This led to CPIM legislators storming the well of the House in protest before ultimately walking out of the session.

The opposition has demanded an official retraction of the minister’s remarks, highlighting concerns over the language used in legislative debates.