Embarrassment for Mamata, TMC MLA runs away with Tripura Speaker’s mace, stalls House

Mangalore Today News Network

Agartala, Dec 20, 2016: In more embarrassment for Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, one of her MLAs ran away with the Tripura Speaker’s mace yesterday, stalling proceedings inside the legislative assembly.

According to reports, the bizarre incident occurred while the Tripura Assembly members were locked in a heated debate on the alleged “womanising” issue involving ruling CPI-M leaders.
 
Both the Congress and Trinamool Congress (TMC) legislators had approached the Speaker’s podium and started sloganeering against Forests Minister Naresh Jamatia.

All of a sudden, TMC MLA Sudip Roy Barman seized the Speaker’s mace and ran away with it outside the House abruptly putting a halt to the proceedings.

The Watch-and-Ward staff, led by the Marshal, followed Barman and after half-a-minute brought the mace back, before Speaker Ramendra Chandra Debnath went to his chamber.

“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.

This incident was reported a day after a Trinamool Congress MLA was caught on camera on Sunday attending a phone call on her mobile during the national anthem at a sports event in Howrah.

TMC MLA Vaishali Dalmiya is the daughter of late Jagmohan Dalmiya, the former president of International Cricket Council and Board of Cricket Council of India.

Since Tripura become a full-fledged state in January 1972, incidents of running away with the symbolic silver mace by opposition legislators in the midst of an assembly sitting has occurred thrice.