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Sixteen opposition members under the leadership of former chief minister Manik Sarkar walk out of Tripura Assembly, in Agartala on Friday. (PTI)[/caption]
Agartala, Aug. 30 (PTI): The opposition CPI (M) on Friday twice staged walkout from the Tripura Assembly after their demand for an adjournment motion to discuss the law and order issue was rejected and also against the introduction of the ESMA bill.
After Question hour, the deputy leader of the opposition Badal Chowdhury raised a demand for an adjournment motion to discuss the state's law and order situation.
Chowdhury claimed that the attention of Speaker Rebatimohan Das was drawn for the adjournment motion submitted earlier, but the speaker said that no adjournment motion could be admitted.
The speaker quoted Rules 72 and 73 of procedure and conduct of business of the Tripura Assembly for his rejection of the motion.
But Chowdhury supported by fellow opposition MLAs Sudhan Das and former minister Bhanulal Saha kept on raising the demand for adjournment motion on the law and order issue.
Chowdhury alleged that law and order situation had deteriorated in the state and the issue needed to be discussed in the House.
BJP MLA Sudip Roy Barman said many questions on the issue were answered in today's session and many more will be answered on Monday, the day scheduled for questions on Home department and thereafter the speaker could allow an adjournment motion if he wanted.
The Leader of Opposition Manik Sarkar said that the voice of legitimate dissent of the opposition was being forcibly suppressed in the House and they could not stay in the House to legitimize the proceedings.
Thereafter the opposition MLAs walked out of the House for a few minutes but returned soon to take part in proceedings.
In the second half, when the Assembly began after recess, Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb, who is also the Home minister moved the "The Tripura Essential Services Maintenance Bill 2019".
When the discussion on the bill started, the leader of the opposition said, "Law and Order had deteriorated in the state. The government employees have the rights to express their opinion. "They are also citizen of the country and may not like many decisions of the government. This ESMA act would suppress the opinion of the government employees."
"The government should think before introducing it. We oppose the bill," he said.
Sarkar was supported by all the members of the CPI-M.
The opposition members then walked out for the second time, but rejoined the House after 15 minutes.
When the opposition members walked out, Deputy Speaker Biswabandhu Sen placed the bill for vote and it was passed by voice vote.
In the 60-member Tripura Assembly the BJP has 36 MLAs, its ally Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) has eight and the opposition CPI(M) has 16 legislators.
