Pradyot’s challenger Patal Kanya joins BJP

AGARTALA: Throwing a challenge to the ruling Tipra Motha of royal scion Pradyot Kishore Debbarman in Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (ADC), the ruling BJP on Sunday inducted Tripura Peoples’ Front (TPF) chief Patal Kanya Jamatia into its fold.
Patal Kanya along with a few hundred of her followers joined BJP in a rally in front of Rabindra Shatabarshiki Bhawan here.After her induction, Patal said although she joined BJP, her socio-political organisation, TPF, will remain which had started its journey in 2014.
Addressing the gathering, she criticised the vision of Greater Tipraland envisaged by Pradyot Kishore Debbarman and Tipraland by BJP’s ally in the government — IPFT — saying that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb are the first who realised the sufferings of tribals of Tripura and have been doing relentless work for the development of indigenous communities.
Without naming anybody, she alleged, “In the name of Thansa (unity), they are breaking the unity of the state and disrupting communal harmony by promoting Tiprasa (tribal) and Onesa (non-tribal) but I joined BJP to end the communal line of politics and the attempt to divide Tripura.”
Accusing Tipra Motha of perpetrating violence in the hills, Patal Kanya alleged that at least 15,000-20,000 of her supporters were scheduled to join BJP with her on Sunday but Motha supporters across the state put up road blockades in several places, attacked the houses of their leaders in the villages and issued warnings to prevent the supporters from joining.
“But I challenge the proponents of Greater Tipraland and Tipraland to succeed in their agenda and stop me from capturing each panchayat in the tribal areas. We are in favour of the development of both tribals and non-tribals and it is only possible under the leadership of Modi, Amit Shah and Biplab Deb, as they have already proven it in four years,” she claimed.