Agartala, December 27, 2024: Former Chief Minister and CPIM Politburo member Manik Sarkar has accused the BJP and Tipra Motha of instigating communal riots in Tripura. Speaking at a meeting organized at Agartala Town Hall on the occasion of the 80th ‘Jana Shikha Diwas’, Sarkar alleged that the BJP aims to create divisions between Hindus and Muslims, while Tipra Matha seeks to divide castes and tribes.
Sarkar criticized the BJP government, calling it a “den of corruption” where no work is done without bribes. “The BJP government is in power at the Centre and in the state, but there is no work, no jobs. The unemployed are looking for jobs, while hospitals suffer from a shortage of doctors, nurses, health workers, and school teachers,” he said. Sarkar accused the BJP of failing to develop the state over the past seven years and instead trying to create discord among different communities. “They are conspiring to destroy peace and harmony. They cannot be allowed to win this plan,” he added.
He also alleged that the BJP is distributing jobs in exchange for money, depriving local youth of employment opportunities. “Youth from outside the state are taking jobs by creating PRTC in a crooked way. The BJP government has now become a den of corruption,” Sarkar stated.
Addressing the recent floods, Sarkar said, “In the last 41 years, the people of Tripura have not faced such a terrible flood. The state government has not taken any measures to compensate the affected people. While the people suffer, state ministers are reveling in their own joy. The people must stand together and join the protest.”
Sarkar accused Tipra Motha of betraying the trust of the people by helping the BJP cross the threshold in the 2023 assembly elections. “BJP is working to create discord between Hindus and Muslims, while Tipra Motha is conspiring to create discord between castes and tribes. They have understood that it is not possible to maintain the empire by cheating alone; they have to create discord against each other,” he said.
He also criticized Tipra Motha’s former supremo Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarman, saying, ” Debbarman claims in public that he is the only one thinking about the protection of 15 lakh tribes in the state. But in fact, he has not done a single work for the development of the tribes. Jana Shiksha Samiti has been fighting for education, housing, and basic rights of the tribals for many years. The only goal of Jana Shiksha Samiti is to provide rights to the tribals. To solve the problems of the people, the tribes have to fight together.”
Sarkar’s remarks highlight the ongoing political tensions in Tripura and the challenges faced by the state’s residents. The call for unity and protest against corruption and communal discord resonates with the concerns of many in the region.
