Agartala, September 22: Congress Legislature Party leader and veteran MLA Birajit Sinha on Tuesday extended support to Tipra Motha founder Pradyot Kishore Debbarma’s demand for a “Greater Tipraland”, asking Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha to consider accepting the demand.
Sinha made the remarks while addressing a Congress election rally at Chinibagan Bazar in Kailashahar, organised ahead of the September 28 Village Committee elections in the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council areas.
Referring to the history of the region, Sinha said areas that were administered by the erstwhile Tripura royal establishment before Partition should be considered while addressing issues raised by Debbarma. He also referred to statements allegedly made by political leaders in Bangladesh concerning the Northeast and argued that acceptance of the demand would help settle the issue.
The Congress leader also attacked the BJP and CPI(M) over the delay in holding Village Committee elections. He alleged that the Left government did not conduct the polls when they were due in 2016 and that the BJP government, after coming to power in 2018, also did not initiate the process.
Sinha said the elections were eventually scheduled after intervention by Debbarma and subsequent directions from the Supreme Court. The polls are being held across 587 Village Committees involving 2,634 constituencies and 4,597 seats.
He also criticised the CPI(M) over its handling of tribal issues and referred to the legislation that led to the establishment of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council. “Congress had to be there for the development of the ADC,” he said.
The Congress leader further alleged that party booth offices and campaign materials in different ADC areas were being vandalised during the night. He claimed that Congress workers and supporters were facing threats and alleged that some voters were being warned of eviction from their areas if they did not support BJP candidates.
Unakoti district Congress president Mohammad Badruzzaman echoed the allegations at the rally.
Sinha and Badruzzaman said Congress workers would respond if any untoward incident took place during the election process.
The allegations could not be independently verified.
The rally was held against the backdrop of a four-cornered contest in Hirachhara, Deorachhara and Unakoti under Gournagar block in Unakoti district, where candidates of the BJP, Congress, Tipra Motha and CPI(M) are contesting.
Congress leaders and candidates, including AICC member Sushanta Chakraborty, Rudrendu Bhattacharjee, Tin Kumar Darlong, Suraiya Darlong, Loisima Darlong, Runu Mia, Zuber Ahmed Khan, Abhijit Debnath and Dweep Sinha, attended the meeting. The party said all 25 of its candidates from the three Village Committees were present along with workers and supporters.
