News Analysis India

Tag: Tripura

  • Constitutional values ‘at stake’ under BJP rule: Manik Sarkar 

    By PTI

    AGARTALA: Secularism, federal structure, and rights of people were ‘at stake’ under the BJP-led government at the Centre, former Tripura chief minister Manik Sarkar said on Friday.

    The institutions, which were created to safeguard the Constitution, were ‘under attack’ with the electoral process becoming ‘a farce’ at the hands of the saffron party, the Tripura Opposition leader said at a rally.

    The rally was organised by the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), the student wing of CPI(M), and the Tribal Students’ Federation.

    “The Election Commission of India is a self-governed body established by the Constitution of India. It is supposed to create a level playing ground for all the political parties. There should not be discrimination against any political party be it the ruling party or opposition. Nowadays, the election has become a farce at the hands of the BJP as people in power are using money and muscle power”, the CPI(M) leader claimed.

    In a reference to BJP national president J P Nadda’s recent speech in Patna, Sarkar said according to the BJP leader, there is no need to have regional or smaller political parties in the country.

    “It is nothing but a reflection of the BJP leader’s fascist attitude”, the Leader of Opposition in Tripura Assembly said.

    ALSO READ | Ruling CPM in Kerala allege attempts to sabotage lone left govt in the country

    Claiming that the Lok Sabha has turned into a ‘stage for puppet show’, Sarkar said 15-16 Bills are passed in the lower house in a day during BJP rule.

    “What is happening? There is no scope for discussion on these Bills. It is an attempt to attack the foundation of Parliamentary democracy”, the CPI(M) politburo member said.

    Heaping praise on the SFI and the TSF for organising the ‘Save Constitution’ rally, the former chief minister called upon the students and youth to raise their voices to uphold the constitutional values in the country.

    “It was not only the mission of the freedom fighters to get India liberated from the British but also to form a country where there will be no economic and political disparity. Unfortunately, this is not fulfilled yet”, the Left leader said.

    AGARTALA: Secularism, federal structure, and rights of people were ‘at stake’ under the BJP-led government at the Centre, former Tripura chief minister Manik Sarkar said on Friday.

    The institutions, which were created to safeguard the Constitution, were ‘under attack’ with the electoral process becoming ‘a farce’ at the hands of the saffron party, the Tripura Opposition leader said at a rally.

    The rally was organised by the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), the student wing of CPI(M), and the Tribal Students’ Federation.

    “The Election Commission of India is a self-governed body established by the Constitution of India. It is supposed to create a level playing ground for all the political parties. There should not be discrimination against any political party be it the ruling party or opposition. Nowadays, the election has become a farce at the hands of the BJP as people in power are using money and muscle power”, the CPI(M) leader claimed.

    In a reference to BJP national president J P Nadda’s recent speech in Patna, Sarkar said according to the BJP leader, there is no need to have regional or smaller political parties in the country.

    “It is nothing but a reflection of the BJP leader’s fascist attitude”, the Leader of Opposition in Tripura Assembly said.

    ALSO READ | Ruling CPM in Kerala allege attempts to sabotage lone left govt in the country

    Claiming that the Lok Sabha has turned into a ‘stage for puppet show’, Sarkar said 15-16 Bills are passed in the lower house in a day during BJP rule.

    “What is happening? There is no scope for discussion on these Bills. It is an attempt to attack the foundation of Parliamentary democracy”, the CPI(M) politburo member said.

    Heaping praise on the SFI and the TSF for organising the ‘Save Constitution’ rally, the former chief minister called upon the students and youth to raise their voices to uphold the constitutional values in the country.

    “It was not only the mission of the freedom fighters to get India liberated from the British but also to form a country where there will be no economic and political disparity. Unfortunately, this is not fulfilled yet”, the Left leader said.

  • Tripura’s GST collection has more than doubled in 5 years: DyCM

    “It was not easy to take all the states into one boat but Prime Minister Narendra Modi has successfully implemented the GST across the nation,” he said.

  • Former Tripura MLA Ashish Das quits TMC, says party doesn’t give dues respect to leaders

    By PTI

    AGARTALA: TMC leader Asish Das, apparently upset over elevation of Subal Bhowmik to the post of the party’s Tripura unit president, quit the Mamata Banerjee-led camp on Friday.

    The former BJP legislator from Surma Assembly constituency in Dhalai district, however, has not shown keenness on joining another party as yet.

    “Eighty per cent of people in Tripura were eager to side with the TMC, when the party started spreading its wings in the state. I, too, joined the party. Now I see that it’s no longer possible for me to survive in this party. Hence, I resigned,” Das said.

    He stated that the TMC leadership “doesn’t give due respect” to its leaders.

    “I can’t let go of my self esteem. They (party leadership) don’t even consider us human beings.  That is why I have decided to quit Trinamool,” he maintained.

    He claimed that the TMC wanted to “weaken the Congress and give mileage to the BJP”.

    Sources in the TMC said Das was unhappy with Bhowmik’s elevation.

    The veteran leader had quit the BJP to join the TMC in October last year.

    He was disqualified as MLA in January for six years by Speaker Ratan Chakraborty over alleged misconduct.

    Das won’t be able to contest elections during the period.

    Meanwhile, Bhowmik, lashing out at Das, said he was nowhere to be found in party programmes all these months.

    “Das was welcomed into TMC by party’s national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee. He, however, was not seen in any party programme after that. He had tonsured his head and removed clothes as a mark of penance while switching over to the TMC from the BJP. I have nothing else to say,” the newly appointed TMC state president added.

  • FIR against Tripura cadre IAS officer for felling trees during his stint as Gaya DM

    By Express News Service

    PATNA: A Tripura cadre IAS officer Abhishek Singh has landed in deep trouble for his alleged involvement in corrupt practices during his stint as district magistrate of Gaya in Bihar. Singh was on inter-state deputation in his home state Bihar for a period of five years.

    An FIR was lodged against Singh at the special vigilance unit after a preliminary investigation revealed that he managed to fell a number of trees from the premises of the district magistrate’s official residence in Gaya for his personal use. He was also accused of issuing arms licenses to people throwing all prescribed norms to the wind. The issuance of arms licenses raised many eyebrows and complaints were made to the office of the chief minister Nitish Kumar.

    “As prima facie, the allegations were found to be true against Singh, he was repatriated to his parent cadre Tripura and a formal inquiry ordered for his acts of omission and commissions,” a senior officer in the know of the matter said.

    The officer who did not wish to be named said that the sub-ordinates of the then Gaya district magistrate confirmed the felling of trees without approval from the department concerned. They remained tight-lipped over the incident for a long due to political clout of Singh.

    Sources said that a video of the trees that were felled at the then DM’s behest was submitted to the chief minister’s office. Singh’s owned a palatial building at Police Colony near Anisabad in Patna. It is suspected that the wood was used in the newly built house.

    Singh’s clout could be gauged from the fact that his tenure of the interstate deputation was extended for six months in October last year. In addition, the state government has initiated departmental proceedings against two senior IPS officers—Amit Lodha and Aditya Kumar—both of Bihar cadre– fortheir alleged connections with illegal sand mining mafias.

    While Lodha was posted as IG, Magadh range, Kumar was posted as SSP of Gaya. The transfer of a police inspector posted as a station house officer at a police station in Gaya was the reason behind the two IPS officers’ fight.

    The disciplinary action against the bureaucrats has evoked sharp reactions from different political parties. While the ruling NDA defended the action and said that the government was sticking to maintaining zero tolerance for corruption, the opposition parties assailed the government for its failure to check corruptpractices.

  • Manik Saha sworn in as Tripura CM

    By PTI

    AGARTALA: BJP state president Manik Saha was sworn in as the chief minister of Tripura on Sunday morning. Governor SN Arya administered the oath to Saha, a Rajya Sabha MP, at the Raj Bhavan here.

    Former Chief Minister Biplab Deb, whose sudden resignation on Saturday evening got Saha the top job, was present at the ceremony along with BJP MLAs and state ministers. Union minister Pratima Bhoumik also attended the swearing-in programme.

    Deputy Chief Minister Jishnu Dev Varma and minister Ram Prasad Paul, who broke chairs during the BJP’s legislative party meeting on Saturday protesting Saha’s appointment as the chief minister, arrived at the Raj Bhavan moments after the swearing-in ceremony ended.

    “Will work for the people of Tripura, taking further the development agenda of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Will focus on the law and order situation,” Saha said after the swearing-in ceremony.

    “There are no challenges,” he said, when asked about the change of guard in the state months ahead of the assembly elections.

    The opposition CPI(M) MLAs boycotted the programme, alleging “fascist-style violence” in the state under the BJP’s rule.

    The Trinamool Congress, which is trying to make inroads in the state, claimed the chief minister was changed as BJP realised that people have lost faith in the state government.

    Saha, a maxillofacial surgeon who graduated from the King George Medical College in Lucknow, was a member of the opposition Congress before he joined the BJP in 2016.

    He became the party’s state president in 2020. A former badminton player of repute, Saha is also the President of Tripura Cricket Association.

    His importance to BJP stems from his clean image and his track record, which includes crafting BJP’s victory in all thirteen civic bodies in the elections held in November 2021.

    Sources said the move comes after an analysis sent by the RSS to the BJP’s central leadership indicated there was a need for a change of guard in the party and the government.

  • Mizoram to launch inter-state bus service to Tripura’s Jampui Hills from May 9

    By PTI

    AIZAWL: Mizoram would launch an inter-state bus service with Tripura’s Jampui Hills, predominantly inhabited by various Zo or Mizo kindred tribes, in an effort to establish good relations with the neighbouring state and strengthen brotherhood with the Mizos living in that state, an official said.

    The proposed bus service would be operated between Mizoram’s capital Aizawl and Behliangchhip town in Kanchanpur sub-division of North Tripura district, state transport department director R Lalrammawia said.

    Chief Minister Zoramthanga would flag off the bus service from Aizawl at 6:30 am on May 9, he said.

    According to Lalrammawia, Mizoram state transport buses would depart from Aizawl on Mondays and Thursdays at 6 am.

    It will return from Behliangchhip in Jampui Hills on Tuesdays and Fridays, he said.

    The fare for Aizawl-Behliangchhip is fixed at Rs 476.

    The transport director told PTI that efforts are on to operate bus service between Aizawl and Churachandpur town in Manipur, where a large number of Zo kindred tribes live.

    He said Mizoram government is taking steps to sign a reciprocal agreement with its Manipur counterpart.

    Mizoram now operates inter-state transport services with only Assam.

    Meanwhile, the Mizo communities in Tripura have welcomed the Mizoram government’s move.

    Tripura based Mizo Convention general secretary Dr Zairemthiama Pachuau said that the proposed inter-state bus service between Mizoram and Tripura would not only strengthen cultural ties and brotherhood among the Mizo communities of the two states but also establish good relations between the two neighbouring states.

    “The Mizo communities strongly welcome the move. The inter-state bus service will strengthen brotherhood among the Mizo communities as well as better relationship between the people of the two neighbouring states,” Pachuau told PTI over the phone.

    He said that the proposed inter-state bus service will also facilitate trade and people to people contact.

  • Three arrested in Tripura for links to anti-national activities

    By PTI

    AGARTALA: Three people were arrested from Tripura’s Spehijala district for their alleged link with anti-national activities, police said on Monday.

    A case was lodged under Sections 120(A), 121 and 124(A) of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) against them after thorough interrogation by state and central agencies, officer-in-charge of Jatrapur police station Nandan Das told PTI.

    Those arrested were identified as Imran Hussain (25), an imam, Abul Kashem (32), a teacher, and Hamid Ali, a farmer, he said.

    Hussain had spent substantial time in madrasas in Uttar Pradesh and Assam’s Barpeta district before returning to Jatrapur, a village near the Bangladesh border, police said.

    Acting on intelligence inputs, a team from Delhi came to Jatrapur and with the help of the state agencies apprehended the three people on Saturday night, they said.

    The suspects were taken to Bishalgarh police station on Sunday where they underwent interrogation in presence of central intelligence sleuths, police said.

    Following the interrogation, the case was filed, they said, adding that further investigations are underway.

    However, police did not share the details of the anti-national activities the three persons were allegedly connected with.

    PTI PS SOM SOM 04042002 NNNN

  • Former Tripura CM Manik Sarkar slams Tipra Motha, IPFT for ‘turning blind eye’ to people’s hardship

    By PTI

    AGARTALA: Former Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar on Sunday lashed out at regional party Tipra Motha and the IPFT, a constituent of the BJP-led government in the state, for allegedly “turning a blind eye” to the hardship that people are facing and “unrealistic” demand for greater Tipraland.

    The fuel prices have reached an all-time high but the BJP at the Centre has been paying “no heed” to the people’s concern in Parliament, the CPI(M) leader said.

    “It is ridiculous that when fuel price was low worldwide, it was skyrocketing in the country. No one can survive bypassing such a core issue,” he said while speaking at a conference of Tribal Youth Federation, a wing of the Left party.

    He also accused the Tipra Motha and the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura of diverting the burning issues by raising the Tipraland demand.

    “Where is the party that had raised Tipraland demand just before the 2018 assembly elections? Ask those people who have raised greater Tipraland to explain the concept of it,” he said.

    Taking a dig at the Tipra Motha on the greater ‘Tipraland’ issue, the former chief minister said, “I heard of their claim that Manipur and Nagaland would come under the ambit of greater Tipraland. Bangladesh’s Chittagong will also be a part of it. Is it a realistic demand? Who will hear your voice.”

    The veteran CPI(M) leader exhorted the ‘tribal saviours’ to work to strengthen the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC).

    “Those who consider the TTAADC is a state are living in a fool’s paradise. It is a special arrangement under the sixth schedule of the Constitution. There must be efforts to give more power to the body. Besides, initiatives should be taken to include Kokborok language in the eighth schedule of the Constitution,” he said.

    “Tipraland and greater Tipraland slogans are aimed at dismantling unity” among the weaker section of people so that they could “not raise voice against the burning issues like unemployment, inflation and high fuel prices”, he claimed.

    Sarkar also recalled the history of the ‘Janashiksha Movement’ that had “changed the education system in the tribal belts in the late 70s”.

    “Around 4,000 schools were established across the state with a special focus on tribal-dominated areas. The Janashiksha Movement had played a pivotal role in expanding the education base in tribal areas,” he added.

  • Woman chops off husband’s head in Tripura

    By IANS

    AGARTALA: In a shocking incident, a 42-year-old woman reportedly beheaded her 50-year-old husband and hung the blood-soaked head in front of their family worshipping room, the police said on Saturday.

    The police have arrested the accused — Sabitri Tanti — who allegedly chopped off her husband Rabindra Tanti’s head by a ‘Dao’ (a sharp-edged weapon) when the victim was sleeping late on Friday night at their home in Ramchandra Ghat in Khowai district.

    The couple has two minor children.

    The police are yet to ascertain the cause of the brutal killing, but the neighbours said the woman was suffering from some mental illness for the past few weeks.

    A forensic team has visited the spot and collected evidence of the crime.

  • Woman beheads husband, keeps head in temple in Tripura’s Khowai district

    By PTI

    AGARTALA: A woman allegedly beheaded her 50-year-old husband and kept the blood-soaked head in a plastic bag at the family’s temple in Tripura’s Khowai district in the wee hours of Saturday, a police officer said.

    While Khowai SP Bhanupada Chakraborty said the reason behind the killing is not yet known, the couple’s elder son said his mother has developed a psychological disorder recently and underwent treatment by a local occultist.

    The 42-year-old woman was arrested from their residence at Indira Colony village of the district. She was living there with her husband Rabindra Tanti, a daily wager, and two minor sons.

    “My mother had always been a vegetarian. But she had chicken last night and all of us went to sleep. Suddenly I woke up and saw my father was beheaded. I was shocked to see my mother was standing with a blood-soaked dao (a sharp weapon). When we raised an alarm, she rushed out of the room and kept my father’s head in our temple,” the elder son said.

    She then confined herself to a room from where the police arrested her. “We have recovered the body and arrested the woman. An investigation has started. A forensic team has visited the place and collected pieces of evidence,” the SP told PTI.

    About the mental illness of the accused, Chakraborty said he cannot comment on that without a doctor’s report.