Several BJP activists on their way to attend an event at Takarjala in Tripura’s Sepahijala district were allegedly injured in a clash near Khumulwng—the headquarters of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC)—on Wednesday. Their vehicles were also damaged, the party said.
The incident took place a day before the Agartala-based Tripura Civil Society, led by TIPRA Motha legislator Ranjit Debbarma, was set to observe a 24-hour statewide strike demanding the implementation of the Tiprasa Accord and strong measures to detect illegal migrants.
Speaking to indianexpress.com, Tripura BJP spokesperson Nabendu Bhattacharya said that at least six vehicles carrying BJP activists were damaged. A complaint is being filed with the local police, he added.
Without naming anyone, Bhattacharya stated that those attempting to use terror tactics to intimidate BJP activists would be reduced to oblivion, as the public would reject the culture of violence.
Speaking to reporters after the event, where several people joined the BJP, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha said that his government wanted to get rid of the culture of people being afraid of political leaders.
“This kind of culture of showing fear to our Janajati leaders has been going on for many days. We want to end this. Everyone has the right to do politics, but those rights should not be exercised using muscle power. We believe in democracy. Whether at the Centre or the state, the BJP is working for the people,” Saha said on Wednesday.
Asked about the Thursday bandh, Saha said that his party had already opposed the bandh and termed it a way to attract the media. Development cannot be stalled by such methods, he added.
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Saha later took to X and wrote in a post, “Bharatiya Janata Party workers are not afraid of anyone.. Those who think they can achieve something by intimidating the Bharatiya Janata Party are dreaming unrealistic dreams. The law will follow the path of the law, and if anyone thinks they can do something by showing their physical strength, we will counter it through the legal route.”
“Without the development of tribal communities, the development of Tripura is not possible, so our government is working with tribal development at the forefront. The Bharatiya Janata Party has given as much respect to the Manikya royal family as no one had given before. We have declared 12 tribal-dominated blocks as aspirational blocks,” he added.
TIPRA Motha founder Pradyot Kishore Debbarma also weighed in on the incident. “Today at Takarjala! While Media cell of some parties try to highlight exaggerated views this is the reality on GROUND. I ask all our digital warriors to show the truth by becoming active on the social media from now onwards,” he said in a social media post.
Last month, BJP tribal leader Mangal Debbarma had been injured in a clash between the ruling BJP and its tribal ally, the TIPRA Motha party, in the Hezamara area of West Tripura district on September 21.
A strain in relations
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The BJP and the Tipra Motha, partners since the 2023 Assembly elections, appear to have hit a rough patch.
In August this year, BJP supporters were attacked in Asharambari in Khowai district while listening to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Mann ki Baat.
Days later, a BJP worker was assaulted in Sepahijala district, prompting CM Manik Saha to publicly blame the Tipra Motha for the “violent and undemocratic attack”. He warned that such acts would not be tolerated and asked the police to act strictly against the perpetrators.
The Tipra Motha, floated in 2021 by former royal Pradyot Bikram Manikya Deb Barma with the demand for a “Greater Tipraland”, swept the TTAADC polls two months after its inception and two years later, became the second largest party in the state Assembly.
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Despite campaigning against the BJP, it joined the ruling alliance after a tripartite agreement was signed with the Centre and state government, promising an “amicable solution” to socio-economic, cultural and land issues of tribals.
However, relations between the two allies have become strained. In July, citing the slow progress of the 18-month accord, Tipra Motha MLA Ranjit Debbarma said his party was “almost ready” to withdraw support from the government. “What is the point of being part of the government? We left the demand of Greater Tipraland but nothing has been done,” he said. Though the statement was withdrawn within hours after Pradyot intervened, he acknowledged “genuine frustration” among tribals.
Both parties also accused each other of poaching workers. The BJP claims several Tipra Motha cadres have joined its ranks since March, while the latter has gained panchayat and mandal-level leaders from the BJP in West Tripura.
TIPRA Motha MLA and senior party leader Ranjit Debbarma had initially announced the statewide strike on October 13. The agitation would be held on behalf of an apolitical civil society demanding the implementation of the tripartite Tiprasa Accord signed between the Centre, the Tripura government and the Tipra Motha party last year.
