Tripura: Political parties intensify war of words ahead of ADC polls

Agartala: Ahead of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) elections, a war of words broke out between the ruling BJP and opposition parties.

The stinging attack on the TIPRA chairman Pradyot Kishore Deb Barman came from the East Tripura MP Rebati Tripura, who termed the call for greater Tipraland a ‘farce’.

The BJP leader questioned the newly-forged alliance partner for misleading people with their propaganda. Deb Barman, on the other hand, accused the MP of voting in favour of Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAA) in the parliament.

In an oblique reference to Deb Barman, Rebati said NGOs have turned into political parties and are making fake promises in the name on thancha (unity) among indigenous leaders.

“Attempts to disturb communal harmony are being made. However, the people have understood why the call for unity has been made like it has been made in the past,” Rebati added.

“When there is no Tipraland, then how can they think of greater Tipraland including Bangladesh, Myanmar in it? It is nothing but manipulation of the people,” Rebati opined.

Rebati also took a dig at BJP ally IPFT over the statement of IPFT general secretary and Tripura forest and tribal welfare minister Mevar Kumar Jamatia expressing his displeasure over the performance of the BJP-IPFT government over the last 3 years.

“The remarks made by a sitting minister for forest and tribal welfare minister after three years is unexpected. He should have said the same earlier. He should have worked for the development of the indigenous people. They (IPFT) lost all seats in the Lok Sabha elections and therefore they might have decided to forge an alliance with TIPRA,” Rebati added.

In reply to the remark made by MP Rebati Tripura, TIPRA chairman Pradyot Kishore Deb Barman wrote on his social media account, “Where was this voice when CAA was passed in the parliament and you voted for the bill! What a sell out!” he wrote.

Meanwhile, deputy CM chaired a meeting of the BJP Janajati Morcha was chaired at his residence on Monday evening. Rebati Tripura, Social Welfare and Social education minister Santana Chakma and other senior leaders attended the meeting.

After coming out of the meeting, Rebati said a meeting with the ally IPFT will be held on Tuesday at the deputy CM’s residence to decide the future of the alliance partners.

The TTAADC was constituted through a vote by secret ballot on January 15, 1982, and the elected members were sworn in on January 18, 1982. Subsequently, the Constitution of India was amended by a Bill, and it was unanimously passed on the floor of the Indian Parliament on August 23, 1984, for the introduction of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution in India.

The TTAADC covers 7,132.56 sq km, which is around 70 per cent of the geographical area of the state. It is also home to one-third of the state’s population.

The TTAADC consists of a 30 member council, of which 28 are elected, and the Governor nominates two members.

The High Court of Tripura on January 12 ordered the state government to conduct elections for the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) by May 17.

The TTAADC polls, earlier scheduled for May 2020, were deferred by the state election commission citing COVID-19 restrictions, following which administration was handed over to the Tripura governor for six months and later extended another six months on November 17.