Agartala: The Ethics Committee of the Tripura Legislative Assembly has cleared BJP MLA Jadab Lal Nath of allegations that he watched obscene videos on his mobile phone during an ongoing assembly session.
The panel, headed by Deputy Speaker Ram Prasad Paul, adopted the resolution on Monday at the assembly secretariat.
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The committee’s report will be tabled in the House when the assembly’s next session begins on September 19.
The nine-member panel includes representatives from the BJP, CPIM and Tipra Motha. Tipra Motha members skipped the meeting.
CPI(M) legislators Nayan Sarkar and Ramu Das attended, along with BJP Chief Whip Kalyani Roy and other ruling party MLAs.
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Speaking after the meeting, CPI(M) MLA Nayan Sarkar said BJP members submitted a report claiming the objectionable video clips had appeared on the MLA’s screen inadvertently and without intent.
“The Deputy Speaker accepted the BJP’s report and left the meeting,” Sarkar told Tripura Times.
He further alleged that ruling party leaders pressed opposition MLAs to endorse the resolution.
“Chief Whip Kalyani Roy insisted we sign the paper. I made it clear that I am not ready to do so now, though I shall comply if rules mandate it,” Sarkar said. His colleague Ramu Das refrained from commenting on the matter.
The controversy erupted in March 2023 when a video recording from the assembly went viral, allegedly showing Nath viewing explicit content during proceedings.
Monday’s decision has formally closed the matter in the eyes of the Assembly, though the opposition continues to question the handling of the case.