Tripura BJP leaders silent on infiltration alleges party's expelled vice-president

Agartala, Nov 19 (PTI) Expelled Tripura BJP vice-president Patal Kanya Jamatia on Tuesday accused senior party leaders of being silent on infiltration, unlike those of other states like neighbouring Assam.

    Jamatia, a tribal leader in the northeastern state, claimed that though she was expelled from the party last month for "anti-party activities", she did not receive any official letter explaining her moves that facilitated action.

    Alleging that a few people with "Bangladeshi sentiment" are running the state BJP, Jamatia said the party's core ideology is to oppose infiltration.

    She told reporters: “If Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sharma can speak against infiltration, why does our CM (Manik Saha) remain silent? If the party leaders could highlight infiltration in Jharkhand during the Assembly election campaign, why are the party leaders mute spectators in this border state?”
    Alleged infiltration from Bangladesh is a major poll plank of the BJP in Jharkhand where the second and final round of polling will be held on Wednesday. Besides Sharma, several top leaders of the saffron party including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah raised the issue of infiltration during electioneering.

    “The letter signed by general secretary (Amit Rakshit) under the instruction of BJP state president (Rajib Bhattacharjee) did not explain how I had indulged in anti-party activities or indiscipline,” she claimed.

    Jamatia joined the BJP ahead of the 2023 assembly elections. The party took action against the outspoken tribal leader after she floated the Tripura People’s Socialist Party (TPSP).

    She fought the last assembly election on a BJP ticket from the Amapinagar constituency and lost.

    Jamatia is also considered a strong opponent of Tripra Motha supremo Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma. The Tipra Motha, a tribal-based outfit which was the main opposition party with 13 MLAs, joined the BJP-led government before the Lok Sabha elections in March.

    She also charged the state BJP with befooling the tribal people with the help of Debbarma.

    “Tiprasa Accord was signed but I want to know who signed that. What are the issues included in the accord?" Jamatia said.

    Tipra Motha joined the BJP government days after a tripartite agreement for amicably resolving all issues of the indigenous people of Tripura was signed in New Delhi among the party, the Tripura government and the Centre.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)