By Firstdespatch Desk Feb 06, 2023
Agartala, Feb 6(FD): Asserting that Tipra Motha has a "secret understanding" with the Congress and the CPI (M), Union Home Minister Amit Shah today said that the tribal party is active to restore the Marxist rule in Tripura by misleading the tribal people.
The regional party headed by royal scion Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma, who was earlier the chief of the Tripura Pradesh Congress committee formed the Tipra Motha in 2019 by resigning from the grand old party and swept the 28-member Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) constituting two third of the state territory in 2021.
When all the major political parties like BJP and CPI-M tried to woo the party and forge an alliance for the Feb 16 elections, the regional party turned down the proposal on the plea that if the party gets an assurance from any national party in writing that they would support separate ‘Greater Tipraland demand’ then they can forge an alliance with them.
Tipra Motha has decided to contest 42 of the 60 constituencies in Tripura and they have command over 20 tribal reserve seats.
“We do not want to bring back the Communists, so I would appeal to the people of the state not to vote for Tipra Motha”, Shah told a public rally at Shantirbazar in South Tripura district.
He appealed to the people to repose faith on the Prime Minister Narendra Modi for overall development of the tribals.
Shah said the Congress and CPI-M, who ruled for fifty years had only presented ‘Andhakar” (Darkness), but BJP gave ‘Adhikar or rights.
Meanwhile, the royal scion in a public meeting at Lefunga, about 25 km from here said he saw the speech of the Union Home Minister in youtube and stated that the Tipra Motha has no understanding with any party.
“We would fight against BJP, Congress and Communists until the demand for greater Tipraland is not achieved. All parties tried to convince us to shun the demand for separate Tipraland, but we sticked to our demand for development of the tribals”, he said.
He also said that the Manikya family does not bow to the pressure of anybody or any party.
The Tipra Motha is alone fighting in 42 seats out of the total 60 seats in Tripura assembly. FD JK