3 min readAgartalaMar 30, 2023 08:47 PM IST
First published on: Mar 30, 2023 at 08:47 PM IST
The Opposition has demanded strict action against Tripura BJP MLA Jadab Lal Debnath, who was allegedly caught watching porn in the Assembly on Wednesday, even as he claimed “obscene videos” had started playing inadvertently on his phone and the Speaker said he wouldn’t comment on social media videos.
A 54-second clip that went viral on social media purportedly showed Debnath watching porn on his mobile phone while Speaker Biswabandhu Sen spoke in the House. The Bagbassa MLA told reporters that he was getting repeated phone calls. “I am aware that the use of mobile phones is prohibited in the Assembly. I was getting repeated calls and after I picked up a call, obscene videos started playing on my phone. I turned them off soon after,” he said Thursday.
Opposition leader Animesh Debbarma of the TIPRA Motha called on Speaker Biswabandhu Sen to take stern action “or else, people will come out on the streets”. “We want proper and strict action against him as per rules, for example, barring him from contesting elections for next six years or so,” he said.
Debbarma said that when crimes against women such as rape were going unpunished in several cases, BJP MLAs watching porn in the Assembly sent a wrong message and tarnished the images of Prime Minisger Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Manik Saha.
For his part, Speaker Sen said he was not aware of any such video. “Nobody has informed me anything about it. Something must have gone viral on social media… Social media is taking a very important role today. But I can’t pass any comments without verifying the veracity of it. I have not received any written complaint. I can’t make any comments just on the basis of whatever is seen on social media,” he told reporters, adding that he would investigate the incident if he received a complaint.
CPM legislative party leader Jitendra Chaudhury targeted the BJP for claiming to be the “beacon holders of Indian culture and tradition”. “An MLA of that party, whom the parliamentary affairs minister certifies to be a mathematics expert, is seen watching obscene content in the Assembly. We condemn it and criticise this,” he said.
“Everyone caught in such acts are from the BJP. Actions were taken against them in those states. Many also lost their Assembly membership. Such people should be barred from contesting elections. We will wait to see what the Speaker and their party do about it. I would like to give them time for now,” he said.
In 2012, Karnataka BJP MLA Laxman Savadi was caught watching porn on his mobile phone and had to resign but later went on to become the deputy chief minister. Shankar Chaudhury and Jetha Bharwad, two MLAs in Gujarat, were also found involved in similar incidents.
State Congress president and MLA Birajit Sinha termed the incident as “shameful” and said Debnath should be “appropriately punished”. He also asked how the MLA used a mobile phone in the House.
Motha MLA Debbarma also took a jibe at minister Ratan Lal Nath, who had advised Opposition MLAs to learn mathematics from Debnath.
A 54-second clip that went viral on social media purportedly showed Tripura BJP MLA Jadab Lal Debnath watching porn on his mobile phone while Speaker Biswabandhu Sen spoke in the House. (File) 
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