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Indian Express
06-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
‘Received no communication from Tipra Motha over withdrawal of support': Tripura CM Manik Saha
A day after the Tipra Motha flip-flopped on the issue of withdrawing support from the BJP-led coalition government in Tripura, Chief Minister Manik Saha Sunday said he has not received any communication on the matter from the tribal party. 'What the Tipra Motha MLA (Ranjit Debbarma) said over the tripartite accord… I didn't receive anything in writing from the party,' Saha said in Agartala on the sidelines of a BJP program. Speaking on the tripartite Tiprasa Accord, the chief minister said he was in regular touch with Tipra Motha founder Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma, and the process to implement the Accord was on. Meanwhile, Pradyot Kishore met Governor Indrasena Reddy Nallu at Raj Bhawan on Sunday. After the meeting, the Tipra Motha founder said, 'It's a personal visit to the Governor. We also met yesterday (Saturday) at a program. He told me to meet him and, accordingly, I visited him and talked about various subjects. Whatever discussion happened between me and the Governor will remain between us. I don't want to comment on this before the media. The only thing I can say is that the Governor has heard my views, and I have heard his advice patiently. Let's see how things turn out.' When asked about the recent visit of a Tipra Motha delegation to the Governor over the infiltration issue, Pradyot Kishore said, 'If we cannot unite to stop illegal infiltration, then it will be a huge injustice to our next generation, who will be deprived of a better tomorrow. Political parties should come together and stop illegal infiltration that is happening in Tripura, because it is going to affect Tripura, it is going to affect the Northeast, and it is going to affect India as well.' Asked about his recent interactions with the chief minister, Pradyot Kishore said, 'Whatever is discussed between me and him is for the betterment of Tripura and not for anything else. I spoke to him yesterday, and if required, I shall speak to him today also.' On Saturday, Tipra Motha MLA and rebel-turned-politician Ranjit Debbarma first said at a press conference that they were ready to withdraw support from the Manik Saha-led government over the 'non-implementation' of the Tiprasa Accord and the 'failure' to rein in illegal infiltration from Bangladesh. But within hours of that announcement, Pradyot Kishore clarified that Tipra Motha was not leaving the ruling coalition. Replying to questions from media persons, he had said, 'I didn't know what was said in the press conference. I shall talk to Ranjit Debbarma and ask what statement was given.'
Indian Express
05-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Tipra Motha ‘flip flop' over leaving BJP-led coalition, founder Pradyot Kishore contradicts senior party MLA
The Tipra Motha Saturday threatened to withdraw its support from the BJP-led ruling coalition, citing the Tripura government's alleged failure to implement the tripartite Tiprasa Accord and rein in illegal immigration from neighbouring Bangladesh. In a press briefing, Tipra Motha MLA and rebel-turned-politician Ranjit Debbarma said the tribal party had waited for 'over a year' to see some progress on the Tiprasa Accord. 'What is the point of being a part of the government? We have not left the demand of Greater Tipraland. The 125th Amendment Bill hasn't been passed in Parliament, and by-elections for vacant seats in the ADC (Autonomous District Council) and ADC village committee elections are yet to be held. We are ready to withdraw support and leave the government because nothing has been done about implementing the Accord. We shall discuss with the central government for one last time before deciding,' Ranjit Debbarma further said. The legislator added he had a discussion with Tipra Motha founder Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma regarding the party's political options, and the latter concurred with him. Ranjit Debbarma further claimed that Pradyot Kishore's younger sister and BJP MP Kriti Devi Debbarma had also agreed to resign from Parliament over the non-implementation of the Tiprasa Accord. He, thereafter, announced that a delegation comprising 13 Tipra Motha legislators is scheduled to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on July 20. Last year, the Centre, Tripura government, and the Tipra Motha signed a tripartite Tiprasa Accord, agreeing to 'amicably resolve' all issues of the indigenous people of Tripura relating to history, land rights, political rights, economic development, identity, culture, language, etc. MLA Ranjit Debbarma also described 'unchecked illegal immigration' as a 'national threat', and added that the BJP-led government failed to act on combating illegal immigration despite the Tipra Motha dispatching a series of letters on the issue to district magistrates, superintendents of police, and the chief minister. However, just hours after Ranjit Debbarma said it was better to walk away from the ruling coalition instead of betraying the people, Pradyot Kishore said, 'I have spoken to the chief minister (Dr Manik Saha) and told him respectfully that there is genuine frustration amongst the tribals. He has said that at his level, he is doing his best to implement the (Tiprasa) accord. He has also assured to speak with the central government at the right platform to bring about an amicable solution to the accord. We are waiting for 18 months and are hopeful that the promise made by the Government of India will be honoured.' While clarifying that his party would not be leaving the government, Pradyot Kishore said, 'I didn't know what was said in the press conference. I shall talk to Ranjit Debbarma and ask what statement was given.' Pradyot Kishore, however, said that a lot of illegal immigrants from Bangladesh are entering Tripura amid the prevailing situation in the neighbouring country and added that tribals in the villages are 'frustrated' with the situation. Brushing aside MLA Ranjit Debbarma's comments, the Tipra Motha founder said those were 'statements made out of frustration'. While most BJP leaders declined to comment on the controversy, former chief minister and Lok Sabha MP Biplab Kumar Deb, who is known to be close to Pradyot Kishore, said Pradyot Kishore is the head of the Tipra Motha, and not Ranjit Debbarma. 'Ranjit Debbarma is not the supremo of Tipra Motha. No such decision of Tipra Motha has been informed to us. As far as I know, Tipra Motha supports the Union government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi… Ranjit babu is not the right person… Whatever Pradyot Kishore says is considered the party policy of Tipra Motha,' Deb said. The former chief minister added that decisions on pending demands will be taken as per the 'system'. Reacting to the apparent 'flip flop' of the Tipra Motha on the issue of continuing its alliance with the BJP, Tripura Opposition leader and CPI(M) politburo member Jitendra Chaudhury said, 'Such incidents were bound to happen. The alliance between the BJP and the Tipra Motha was not formed based on proper principles. They agreed on things that they don't principally agree on. So, it's natural that they will have disillusionment. The high hopes created by Motha would also not be fulfilled, and it was bound to happen.' Tripura can have a maximum of 12 cabinet members, but till recently it had only 10 cabinet members. Of these, eight were from the BJP, one from the Indigenous People's Front of Tripura, and one from the Tipra Motha. BJP MLA Kishor Barman took oath as a cabinet minister on Thursday, taking the tally to 11. A section of political experts has, therefore, termed the threat to leave the ruling coalition as a bargaining chip for the Tipra Motha, which has been demanding three full-fledged cabinet berths for quite some time now. Notably, the Tipra Motha has the second-highest number of MLAs in the state after the BJP.
Indian Express
02-06-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
‘Disrespect' towards Pradyot Kishore: Tipra Motha youth wing shuts down govt offices in Tripura's Gomati district
The Youth Tipra Federation (YTF), the youth wing of royal scion Pradyot Kishore Debbarma's Tipra Motha, Monday went ahead with its shutdown of government offices in the Gomati district. The YTF is protesting against the alleged disrespect shown towards party supremo Pradyot Kishore and Purna Chandra Jamatia, Chief Executive Member of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council, when the duo went to meet the Gomati district magistrate in his residence and were turned back at the gate Sunday. The Tripura Police made adequate arrangements to tackle the agitation and deployed thousands of security personnel. Hundreds of agitators attempted to breach security barricades and engaged in scuffles with the police. 'There will be deployment of nearly 1,000-2000 police, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Tripura State Rifles (TSR) personnel. Besides, we have been given civilian officers and experienced officers from the police headquarters. Our primary objective is to ensure that no one interferes with any official duty. We are trying to ensure less inconvenience for the public. For this, we have separate arrangements for traffic,' said Souvik De, Additional Superintendent of Police, a day before the shutdown. Pradyot Kishore attended an event in South Tripura Sunday and was travelling to Agartala in the West Tripura district. On his way, he reached out to Gomati District Magistrate T K Chakma, whose residence is in Udaipur, which is on the route to Agartala. However, the Tipra Motha leader, who was accompanied by Jamatia, was allegedly denied entry by the security guards at the gate. Pradyot told journalists that he had been trying to get in touch with the DM regarding some administrative issues, but his phone calls had not been answered. The YTF condemned the incident, sought action against the DM and declared a shutdown at all government offices in the Gomati district. YTF President Suraj Debbarma stated on Sunday that if the Tripura government does not take action on the issue, the agitation will spread to other districts of the state. Tipra Motha is a ruling ally in the BJP-led state government.
Indian Express
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
‘We never surrender to power': Tripura LoP takes potshots at Pradyot Kishore for ‘not on good terms with CPI(M)' remark
Two days after Tipra Motha founder Pradyot Kishore said he was on good terms with both the Congress and the BJP but not with the CPI(M), Tripura Leader of Opposition (LoP) Jitendra Chaudhury Friday criticised the tribal party for joining the BJP-led ruling alliance in the state after having served as the principal Opposition. 'I am not unhappy with his (Pradyot Kishore) statement. I am grateful to him that he had spoken the right thing. The CPI(M) is different. We never surrender to power or any other vested interest,' Chaudhury said. The CPI(M) leader said Kishore's party 'forged an alliance through the backdoor' to help the BJP return to power during the 2023 Assembly elections. Meanwhile, attacking the BJP, Chaudhury said, 'The 125th (Amendment) Bill is kept in the refrigerator in Parliament. In Tripura, for the past 7.5 years, the tribals of Tripura have been made second-class citizens. The TTAADC (Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council) has been reduced to a beggar. They are not conducting village council elections as well.' Chaudhury also criticised BJP MLA Sudhangshu Das over his recent controversial remark on the Pahalgam terror attack and called him a 'habitual offender'. Pradyot Kishore had visited the Congress Bhawan in Agartala on Wednesday to return some party flags lying with him from the time when he was a member of the Grand Old Party. He even served as the state president of the Congress in 2019, and later floated the Tipra Motha. When asked about his visit to the Congress office, Pradyot Kishore had made the 'not on good terms with the CPI(M)' comment. Earlier, on several occasions, Pradyot Kishore was heard saying that tribals were deliberately kept poor during the 25 years of Communist rule from 1993-2018, and former BJP CM and Lok Sabha member Biplab Kumar Deb 'really loves tribals'.
