Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Wednesday mounted a fierce political counter-offensive against the Tipra Motha Party and the CPI(M), declaring that “threat and blackmail politics” would not deter the BJP from working in tribal areas or for Janajati communities.
Speaking at a BJP programme at Baijal Bari in Khowai district, Saha rejected claims that the ruling party would be barred from functioning in the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC), asserting that democratic norms could not be dictated through intimidation. “No one can stop the BJP from organising programmes or working for the welfare of Janajati communities in TTAADC areas,” he said.
The Chief Minister said attempts had been made to disrupt a programme organised for Janajati women, but stressed that the BJP would respond only through constitutional means. “Our guardians are Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP national president JP Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. We believe in law and order and will use power only through constitutional means,” he said, adding that unruly conduct had no place in the party’s political culture.
Drawing a broader political comparison, Saha alleged that some forces in Tripura were resorting to tactics similar to those used by Pakistan in the past. “Everyone knows how the BJP came to power in 2018. Issues keep changing, from Tipraland to Greater Tipraland and now One Northeast, but everything must happen through a democratic process,” he said.
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The Chief Minister also accused alliance partners of failing to observe coalition discipline on the ground, stating that while the BJP respected alliance norms both at the Centre and in the state, the same commitment was missing in Tripura. He questioned how any political party could claim that the BJP would not be allowed to function in TTAADC areas, reiterating that the government would continue to work for people irrespective of political opposition.
Turning his attack towards the CPI(M), Saha accused the Left party of presiding over widespread violence during its tenure in the state. “We do not want murder, rape and violence in a New Tripura. The CPIM indulged in massive violence when it was in power,” he alleged.
On the contentious Kokborok script issue, the Chief Minister accused opposition parties of deliberately creating confusion and provoking sentiments among Janajati communities. He claimed that attempts were being made to impose the Roman script in a bid to weaken indigenous culture.
BJP state president Rajib Bhattacharya, Industries and Commerce Minister Santana Chakma and other senior party leaders were present at the programme.
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