Agartala, June 9 (UNI): Ending all speculations, Tripura’s main opposition party TIPRA Motha on Friday ruled out any possibility of joining the BJP-led ministry in the state.
A Motha leader claimed that they were offered three ministerial berths in Chief Minister Manik Saha’s Cabinet by central and state leaders of the BJP. But TIPRA Motha did not agree to join the cabinet by compromising on its core demand of finding a “constitutional solution to the issues of tribals”, the leader said.
He made it clear that Motha was more interested in performing its role as the main opposition and pursue its demands.
“We were expecting an improvement in governance under Dr Saha’s leadership and a cohesive development plan for the tribal Autonomous District Council (ADC) and the indigenous population, besides the restoration of law and order, but the performance of the government in the past three months has been completely the opposite,” the leader claimed.
He said still BJP “hooligans” and motor bike-borne “criminals” were attacking people from the opposition, ransacking houses and shops while asking for subscriptions, and indulging in extortion from contractors, but the police have failed to contain them.
Despite assurances from the CM, “violence and atrocities” have been continuing across the state.
Three days ago, BJP’s miscreants attacked the house of a party worker Pradip Kumar Majumder and left three people critically injured, but police were yet to arrest anybody.
On March 8, only nine ministers including Saha were administered the oath of office and secrecy and three berths were kept vacant.
BJP sources had then claimed that three berths would be filled up from TIPRA Motha.
Meanwhile, BJP sources conceded that growing factional feuds in the party has created a major problem for the government. The sources alleged that Union minister Pratima Bhowmik and Rajya Sabha MP Biplab Kumar Deb have mobilised a group of MLAs and leaders against the CM, which is affecting governance.
