Agartala, September 22: Congress CLP leader Birajit Sinha on Tuesday backed Tipra Motha founder Pradyot Kishore Debbarma’s “Greater Tipraland” demand and urged Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha to accept it, while addressing an election rally at Chinibagan Bazar in Kailashahar.
Sinha said the demand needed to be viewed against Tripura’s historical background, referring to areas that were administered by the erstwhile royal establishment before Partition. He also referred to statements allegedly made by political leaders in Bangladesh concerning the Northeast and said acceptance of the demand would address the issue.
The remarks came during a Congress campaign meeting organised ahead of the September 28 Village Committee elections in the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council areas.
Sinha questioned the record of both the CPI(M)-led Left Front and the BJP on conducting the Village Committee elections. He alleged that the Left government did not hold the polls when they were due in 2016 and that the BJP government, after coming to power in 2018, also did not initiate the election process.
He said the polls were eventually scheduled following Debbarma’s intervention and subsequent Supreme Court directions. The elections cover 587 Village Committees, 2,634 constituencies and 4,597 seats.
Sinha also criticised the CPI(M) over tribal issues and highlighted Congress’s role in the establishment and development of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council.
“Congress had to be there for the development of the ADC,” he said.
The Congress leader then alleged that party offices and campaign materials were being vandalised at night in several ADC areas. He also claimed that Congress workers and supporters were being threatened during the campaign.
Sinha further alleged that some voters were being warned that they could be driven out of their areas if they did not vote for BJP candidates.
Unakoti district Congress president Mohammad Badruzzaman made similar allegations while speaking at the meeting. The claims could not be independently verified.
Sinha and Badruzzaman said Congress workers would respond if any untoward incident took place during the election process.
The campaign meeting was held amid a four-cornered contest in Hirachhara, Deorachhara and Unakoti under Gournagar block in Unakoti district, where the BJP, Congress, Tipra Motha and CPI(M) have fielded candidates.
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 rally.
The Congress said all 25 of its candidates from the three Village Committees were present along with party workers and supporters.
