The first day of the Monsoon session of Tripura Assembly on Wednesday witnessed uproarious scenes as the opposition Congress protested against Minister Sudhangshu Das's statement on a controversial post on Facebook relating to Hindu temple attack and idol defacing.

During the reference period, the opposition Congress and the CPI (M) MLAs raised the issue of the minister’s recent post on social media.

Congress MLAs Sudip Roy Barman, Gopal Roy and Birajit Singh while arguing with the treasure bench members and ministers went to the well before walking out of the Assembly in protest after Minister Das described Congress as "anti-Hindu".

Sudhangshu Das, who holds the Welfare of Scheduled Caste and Animal Resource Development Departments, without referring to any specific instance, in his September 1 Facebook post, which the minister subsequently removed, said: “In my view, the Hindus have no moral right to offer puja to Hindu Gods and Goddesses because those people who can’t protect their temples and Gods, do not deserve to organize prayers or offer puja.”

On August 25th last, unidentified miscreants defaced the idol at a local Kali temple at Koitorabari village under Ranirbazar police station of West Tripura district.

After the defacing of the idol, unidentified assailants torched at least 16 houses, and burnt several vehicles and properties belonging to minorities in nearby areas, leaving four persons injured in the wake of the vandalism.

A large number of security forces including CRPF, TSR and state police were deployed immediately at the areas and prohibitory orders has also imposed in the entire mixed-populated Jirania Subdivision under the section-163 of  Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). Police have also arrested five people in connection with the attacks and arson.

Former Minister and Congress MLA Birajit Sinha raising the issue in the house sought the minister’s statement and apology. Sinha was supported by his party colleagues and Leader of Opposition (LoP) Jitendra Chaudhury.

During a heated argument terming the Minister’s social media posts as ‘hate speech’, former Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman strongly criticized him and said, “A minister took an oath of office and secrecy as per the Constitution of India and he cannot make such a post in a public platform.”

Parliamentary Affairs and Law Minister Ratan Lal Nath, Food and Civil Supplies Minister Sushanta Chowdhury and other BJP MLAs defended Minister Sudhangshu Das.

There has been no instance in Tripura where minority people are subjected to face oppression. The government is working for 'Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas'. But it is Congress which had made a member of 'tukde tukde' gang candidate from New Delhi constituency, said Minister Sushanta Das without naming Congress leader Kanhaiya Kumar.

In protest, the three Congress MLAs walked out of the House for ten minutes. Although CPI(M) MLAs were protesting the minister's statement, they remained in the House.

When, Minister Sudhangshu Das stood in the house for clarification in favour of his Facebook post , unable to complete his clarification due to the noisy scenes.

Ruling BJP members during the arguments, referred to the series of incidents during the Partition of the country and since before the Independence of India, ‘Great Bengal Killing’, Noakhali Riots, Kashmiri pandits’ exodus from Jammu and Kashmir and attacks on minorities in Bangladesh and exodus of people from the then East Pakistan, now Bangladesh during and after 1971.

Assembly Speaker Biswa Bandhu Sen, however, rejected the opposition MLAs’ demand to seek an apology from Minister Sudhangshu Das.