Tipra Motha opposes CAA’s implementation in tribal areas

GUWAHATI: Tipra Motha Party chief Pradyot Bikram Manikya Debbarma on Tuesday said that the party would not allow the government to implement the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) in Tripura’s tribal areas.

The statement followed Congress leader Sudip Roy Barman’s charge that Debbarma was maintaining stony silence on the CAA as he had sold himself off to the BJP. The Tipra Motha is a component of the state’s BJP-led government.

Responding to the Congress leader’s remarks, Debbarma said, “He asked why we did not raise voice against CAA. Pradyot Bikram Manikya is still fighting CAA in the Supreme Court. We will not allow CAA to be implemented in TTAADC (Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council) areas,” Debbarma said.

He said the party would fight for every Tiprasa’s right to their land. He added that this clause figured in the agreement that the party had signed with the central government towards solving the problems of Tripura’s tribals.

Debbarma also hit out at Barman for his political inconsistency.

“A group from the Congress, of which Barman was a part, had ditched the party in 2016. They joined the Trinamool Congress but when they felt elections (in Tripura) cannot be won through didi (TMC president and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee), they joined the BJP. They won the polls in 2018 but when he did not get the CM’s post, he returned to the Congress. This man does politics for himself,” Debbarma said.

Congress leader Barman had warned that implementation of the contentious Act would alter the demography of Tripura’s tribal areas.

“Tipra Motha is keeping quiet because its supremo has been asked to shut his mouth. I believe the legislators and the functionariparty’s functionaries are not going to echo the voice of their party supremo who has been completely purchased and has sold himself off to the BJP,” Barman had said.

“We are unable to give a share of the GDP to those who were born and brought up here, the son of the soil.. and you are inviting foreigners in the name of religion,” the Congress leader had said addressing BJP.

Last week, the Tripura government had stated that it was preparing to implement CAA. It constituted a six-member state-level empowered committee to grant citizenship under CAA.