Agartala, Oct 16 — The ruling BJP in Tripura on Thursday hit back at its ally, the Tipra Motha Party (TMP), for accusing it of neglecting tribal welfare and making “undemocratic” remarks against Chief Minister Manik Saha.
BJP state vice-president Bimal Chakma, general secretary Bipin Debbarma, and youth leader Sanjit Reang alleged that TMP leaders were distorting Tripura’s history to gain political mileage ahead of next year’s Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) elections.
Highlighting the BJP government’s initiatives, Chakma said the state had honoured tribal heritage by renaming Agartala Airport after Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya Bahadur and declaring his birthday a state holiday. He added that the monthly honorarium for tribal community leaders (Samajpatis) was recently raised from Rs 2,000 to Rs 5,000 to acknowledge their contributions.
Chakma accused TMP leaders of calling the Chief Minister a “Bengali” and “Bangladeshi” CM and warned against attempts to create ethnic tensions. “We have seen the consequences of such divisive politics in the 1980 riots,” he said.
BJP leader Bipin Debbarma also criticised TMP supremo Pradyot Bikram Manikya Debbarma for threatening to withdraw from the coalition if indigenous rights were not secured.
Since 2021, TMP has governed the 30-member TTAADC, which covers two-thirds of Tripura and is home to over 12 lakh tribals. Despite being part of the BJP-led government since March 2024, tensions have persisted between the allies, with several clashes reported.
The TMP has called a 12-hour shutdown on October 23 to press for eight demands, including deportation of illegal migrants and implementation of the tripartite accord signed with the Centre and the state government.
