Brinda Karat slams BJP-IPFT alliance in Tripura

Sonamura (Tripura): CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat on Sunday slammed the BJP for allegedly forging an alliance with Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT), a non-Left tribal party.

“They have formed an unholy alliance to divide Tripura for narrow electoral politics. Tripura has emerged as a State with extraordinary success in over two decades of Left rule. There is a concerted effort to disrupt peace and tranquillity in the State,” she said while addressing a public rally here.

The CPI(M) politburo member also alleged that the IPFT had collaborated with insurgents on the one hand and the BJP on the other.

Referring to a meeting between an IPFT delegation and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on 5 January, she said the Centre had announced the formation of a modality committee that would examine the feasibility of the separate Statehood demand, something that was unheard of in the nation’s politics.

However, the State BJP refuted Karat’s charges and said it was completely against the division of the State.

BJP State President Biplab Deb told reporters that the Centre had agreed to forming a committee with the representatives of the State and central government as well as tribal experts to examine the socio-economic and socio-cultural condition of the tribals who form a third of Tripura’s population.

Karat claimed Tripura had set unparallelled examples in public education, healthcare, infrastructure and several other sectors and said peace was a compulsory prerequisite of development.

She blamed the IPFT for dividing the State on ethnic lines and disrupting peace.

There were separatist demands in Vidarbha and other parts of the country, but no such committee was formed’ Karat said and added that the BJP had completely washed its hands off the Gorkhaland movement in Darjeeling in West Bengal after winning the elections.

She appealed to the poll-bound people of Tripura to form the 8th Left Front government.

Assembly elections are due in Tripura as the term of the current House is scheduled to come to an end on 6 March 2018.

PTI