Trimool Congress threatens Tripura Speaker

A CORRESPONDENT

AGARTALA, Sept 10: The Trimool Congress has threatened to drag speaker of the Tripura assembly Ramendra Chandra th into the court if he refuses to recognise Diba Chandra Hrangkhawal, the newly elected legislature party leader of TMC, as leader of the opposition in the state assembly.

Sudip Roy Barman, former leader of the opposition, in a press conference said legal position is fully in favour of recognising Hrangkhawal as leader of the opposition.

"But the speaker is unnecessarily raising some issues to deprive Hrangkhawal from his legal right," Barman stated. He also accused the speaker for acting as per instruction of the ruling CPI (M) and urged him to act in a neutral manner.

"Tripura Assembly passed act regarding recognition of leader of the opposition twice in 1972 and 2008, both says the leader of the opposition party having highest numerical strength will get the recognition as leader of opposition," Barman stated.

The chairman of the TMC state committee Ratan Chakraborty in a letter has requested the speaker to recognise Diba Chandra Hrangkhawal as Leader of the opposition.

Speaker Ramendra Chandra th is yet to reply to the letter but told the reporters that according to rules passed by the assembly one sixth of the total strength of the house, that is ten, is the quorum for the house and also minimum requirement for recognition as leader of the house.

Roy Barman said it is totally wrong interpretation of the rules and said the settled position is that if any rule contradicts the act then the act will prevail. So there is no scope to reject Hrangkhawal's claim.

The speaker is now in his home town Dharmagar and is expected to return on September 12. The assembly session is scheduled to begin from September 23.