Agartala, July 4 -- Tipra Motha Party (TMP) founder Pradyot Kishore Debbarman has dismissed claims that his party intentionally boycotted the swearing-in ceremony of newly appointed minister Kishore Barman in Tripura.

In a statement issued Thursday, Debbarman termed the allegations as baseless and clarified that the absence of TMP leaders was due to prior religious commitments related to Kharchi Puja.

He stated that most TMP MLAs and MDCs were engaged in their respective constituencies, participating in rituals and celebrations associated with Kharchi Puja, a major cultural and religious festival in Tripura.

"All our elected representatives are occupied with rituals and festivities in their areas. It is an important time for our commun...