Agartala, Sept 3:
Leader of Opposition (LoP) Jiten Choudhury has launched a sharp attack on the BJP-led government in Tripura, following the alleged assault on Kanchanpur MLA Philip Kumar Reang at the MLA Hostel near ILS Hospital in Agartala last Monday night.
Addressing a press conference, Choudhury termed the incident a “burning example” of the deteriorating law and order situation in the state. He alleged that Tripura has become a safe haven for mafia elements, with the police unable to function independently. “A section of the police has already turned into puppets of the ruling government,” he said, warning of the dangerous consequences of administrative collapse.
The LoP further accused the BJP of running a “fascist regime” over the past 7.5 years, marked by misrule and misgovernance. He argued that the ruling party has lost control over its own cadre, resulting in lawlessness and unchecked criminal activities.
Choudhury cited the FIR lodged by MLA Philip Reang at the NCC Police Station, which named Pratik Dev Varman—the son of Hyderabad Governor and former Tripura Deputy Chief Minister Jishnu Dev Varman—as the prime accused in the assault case. He alleged that Pratik Dev Varman has been running a “kingdom of corruption and extortion” in the NCC Police Station area, and expressed dismay that no strong action had been initiated against him despite widespread public awareness of his activities.
While criticizing the government’s failure to safeguard elected representatives, Choudhury also directed his remarks at Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha. “We, as the opposition, have not yet raised the slogan of ‘Chief Minister step down,’” he clarified. “But I fear the Chief Minister is failing to recognize his own weaknesses. We don’t want him to resign—we want him to uphold the Constitution and serve the people. However, I suspect that the actions of his own party workers may eventually force him to step down.”
The LoP reiterated that the incident at the MLA Hostel is not an isolated case but part of a broader pattern of governance failure that has eroded public trust in law enforcement and weakened democratic institutions in Tripura.
