Former Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb.
Credit: PTI File Photo
Former Tripura Chief Minister and Rajya Sabha member Biplab Kumar Deb alleged that the CPI(M) was responsible for the mushrooming of regional parties in the northeastern state.
He said this while addressing a rally for BJP candidate in the Dhanpur Assembly bypoll in Sepahijal district on Wednesday.
"The regional parties like TUJS, INPT and IPFT were born in Tripura because of CPI(M)'s long-lasting exploitation and harassment. They believed that indigenous voters are their secured vote bank but the situation has changed completely nowadays," Deb said.
Manik Sarkar of the CPI(M) was the chief minister when the state witnessed a massive influx of Reang refugees from neighbouring Mizoram in 1998 but he did not take any steps to solve their problem, Deb alleged.
"But things started moving in favour of Bru refugees when the BJP-IPFT government came to power in the 2018 Assembly elections. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national president JP Nadda came forward to solve the 23-year-old refugee issue," he said.
Deb alleged that Manik Sarkar who ruled the state for several years had tried to destroy the future of the young generation of Bru refugees.
"But the BJP central leadership came forward considering the sufferings of refugees and inked a historic agreement allowing the Bru refugees to permanently settle in Tripura. Pradyot Kishore Manikya, Tipra Motha supremo and IPFT president NC Debbarma were among the signatories of the agreement", he said.
Deb claimed that the tribal people taught the CPI(M) a lesson for ignoring the interest of indigenous people as the CPI(M) could not win a single Scheduled Tribe (ST) reserved seat in the 2023 assembly election. "The CPI(M) which considered itself as saviour of the indigenous people, could not open an account in the election to Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC). Now, the Communists are irrelevant in tribal politics", he said.