Agartala, September 22: Senior Congress leader and CLP leader Birajit Sinha on Tuesday called upon Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha to accept Tipra Motha founder Pradyot Kishore Debbarma’s demand for a “Greater Tipraland”, making the appeal at an election meeting in Kailashahar.
Addressing a Congress rally at Chinibagan Bazar, Sinha said the demand should be considered in the context of Tripura’s historical and political background. He referred to territories administered by the erstwhile Tripura royal establishment before Partition and also mentioned statements allegedly made by political leaders in Bangladesh regarding the Northeast.
The rally was organised by the Kailashahar district Congress ahead of the September 28 Village Committee elections in the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council areas.
Sinha also targeted the BJP and CPI(M) over the delay in conducting the Village Committee polls. He alleged that the Left Front government did not hold the elections when they were due in 2016, while the BJP government, after assuming power in 2018, also failed to initiate the process.
According to Sinha, the elections were eventually set in motion following Debbarma’s intervention and directions from the Supreme Court. The polls cover 587 Village Committees, 2,634 constituencies and 4,597 seats.
Taking aim at the CPI(M), Sinha also spoke about the party’s record on tribal issues and recalled the role of Congress 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 subsequently raised allegations of intimidation and vandalism in different ADC areas. He claimed that Congress booth offices and campaign materials were being damaged at night and that party workers and supporters were being threatened.
Sinha further alleged that some voters were being warned that they could be forced to leave their areas if they did not support BJP candidates. Unakoti district Congress president Mohammad Badruzzaman made similar allegations while addressing the gathering.
The allegations could not be independently verified.
Sinha and Badruzzaman said Congress workers would respond if any untoward incident occurred during the election process.
The meeting comes amid a four-way contest in Hirachhara, Deorachhara and Unakoti under Gournagar block of Unakoti district, where the BJP, Congress, Tipra Motha and CPI(M) are in the fray.
The Congress said all 25 of its candidates from the three Village Committees attended the meeting along with party workers and supporters. Among those present were AICC member Sushanta Chakraborty, Rudrendu Bhattacharjee, Tin Kumar Darlong, Suraiya Darlong, Loisima Darlong, Runu Mia, Zuber Ahmed Khan, Abhijit Debnath and Dweep Sinha.
