Strains appear in Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT) Over Block Advisory Committee Appointment

A Correspondent

AGARTALA, July 20: The simmering discontent between the two partners of the ruling alliance, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT), is resurfacing as the later has threatened to revive their agitation demanding appointment of Block Advisory Committee (BAC) Chairman for Lefunga Block from their party.

IPFT has already formed a BAC movement committee and has announced a dateline for reviving the movement. Addressing a press conference at Tuisa Bazar near Lefunga under Mohonpur sub-division in West Tripura district, the chairman of the movement committee Raj Kumar Debbarma said, “They will wait till July 23 and will re-launch their agitation if the demand is not met.” IPFT local leaders launched an agitation in May protesting against the appointment of BAC chairman ignoring the local sentiment which repeatedly turned violent and disrupted the public life. They also closed down the block office and roads connecting various places.

In an attempt to cool down the situation the Chief Minister Biplab Deb held a meeting at his house with the IPFT leadership on July 13 and decided to settle the dispute through discussion.

Rajkumar Debbarma said more than one month has lapsed since the meeting but no action has so far been taken. Under this circumstance they are going to revive the agitation though he is hopeful that the Chief Minister will take a decision before that. Apart from Lefunga, similar discontent are prevailing in some other blocks also and it is feared that once the agitation begins at Lefunga other blocks will not remain far behind and another spell of unrest is ahead.