Felicitation of journalists by Tripura Assembly sparks controversy over absence of CM, Parliamentary Affairs Minister

The Tripura Legislative Assembly on Tuesday felicitated a section of journalists from the state, including few veterans, in recognition of their professional excellence. However, the programme soon became controversial, triggering sharp reactions within both journalistic and political circles.

Questions were raised over the role of the Assembly authorities for allegedly not inviting Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha to the event, despite it being organized by a constitutional institution like the Legislative Assembly. It was also alleged that Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ratan Lal Nath was not invited. The programme was attended by Governor Indrasena Reddy Nallu, who graced the occasion and presented honours to the selected journalists.

While there was no major objection regarding the selection of journalists for felicitation, some sections of a local media reportedly attempted to undermine the contributions and work of the honoured journalists and photo-journalists, allegedly driven by professional jealousy. At the same time, the absence of the Leader of the House and the Parliamentary Affairs Minister from the event led to widespread discontent and political debate across the state.

The felicitation ceremony was held at the Tripura Legislative Assembly premises in the presence of the Governor, who honoured a group of veteran, senior and working journalists, including few photo-journalists. The Assembly authorities claimed that the journalists were selected purely on the basis of professional excellence.

However, no clear explanation was provided regarding the criteria or the process followed in selecting the journalists. Further questions were raised over the absence of any BJP minister at the programme. Only one minister from Tipra Motha, Animesh Debbarma  was present, along with Leader of the Opposition Jitendra Chaudhury and senior Congress MLA Birajit Sinha. A few BJP MLAs, including Rampada Jamatia, Mina Rani Sarkar and Antara Sarkar Deb, also attended the event.

The journalist felicitation programme organized by the Tripura Legislative Assembly thus remained at the centre of controversy throughout the day, with questions being raised over its intent and political messaging.