Former MP and BJP leader Rebati Tripura has accused Tipra Motha founder Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma of using the recently-launched “One North East” regional front to regain political relevance.
Addressing reporters, Rebati Tripura alleged that the initiative risks misleading voters at a time when Tripura was experiencing “relative peace and stability.” “The regional front, backed by leaders from “failed regional parties,” reflects an “existential crisis” within Pradyot Debbarma’s political strategy. Debbarma’s recent speeches at a Tipra Motha event under the One North East banner at Stable Ground featured “provocative and contradictory statements,” Rebati alleged. The BJP leader said that Debbarma’s confidence has grown under the current political climate, but warned that reviving old fault lines would be detrimental.
“He once championed Tipraland and Greater Tipraland. Now, those demands have vanished from his dictionary,” he said, calling the new campaign “another distraction.” The former MP criticised the “frequent shifts in Pradyot’s political positions”. “When he was in Congress, he said one thing; now he says another. After a decade, he will again call it a mistake,” Rebati remarked. On the other hand, he questioned the functioning of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council, alleging financial mismanagement and a lack of adherence to constitutional norms. “TTAADC lacks financial discipline. Everything is on paper in the name of development,” he said, pushing for a full financial audit. On demands for a separate state or special constitutional provisions for tribal areas, Rebati maintained that such proposals are not feasible for a geographically small state like Tripura.
