Agartala, Aug 29, 2022, TRIPURATIMES Desk

Agartala, Aug 29: BJP national president J.P. Nadda on Monday said the previous non-BJP governments never thought of the development of tribals. 

It was former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee who started the first Tribal Welfare Ministry, Nadda said at a public rally in Khumulwng in Tripura.

He said, Prime Minister Narendra Modi ensured highest numbers of Janajati representatives in the government—at present, there are eight tribal ministers in the Union cabinet and five in the state cabinet.

Addressing the rally, Nadda said, contributions of the Bru, Chakma, Bhil, Gari, Jamatia among 19 tribal communities in the state to the progress of the nation would always be remembered. He also remembered Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya, Freedom Fighters- Phanibhusan and Shantibhusan for their contributions.

Addressing the rally, Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha said the BJP government truly believes in development of Janajati people. He said the double-engine governments are working together for an overall development of the ADC areas.

Meanwhile, the BJP rally at Khumulwng visibly set a tune of disappointment in the saffron camp ahead of Village council polls.

This was for the first time that any BJP figure like J.P. Nadda addressed such a rally at Khumulwng, the headquarters of Tipra Motha-ruled TTAADC. But, as it appeared, the response among the Janajati people was not up to the BJP’s expected level. The venue was small in size but the gathering of Janajati people was less.

According to BJP sources, many of the Janajati people could not attend the rally as they faced pressure from Tipra Motha. According to the reports coming from some places, the rally-bound people were attacked. But, for many others, the Khumulwng rally was a clear indication for BJP’s tribal politics for the upcoming Village Council polls as well as assembly polls.

Deputy Chief Minister Jishnu Dev Varma, former Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb, Union Minister of State Pratima Bhowmik, BJP state president Rajib Bhattacharjee and MP Rebati Tripura along with others were present in the rally.

BJP state prabhari Vinod Sonkar, party’s organizational secretary to Assam and Tripura- Phanidranath Sharma, minister Santana Chakma, Ramprasad Paul, Bhagaban Das, Sushanta Chowdhury, Manoj Kanti Deb, MLA Atul Debbarma, Pramod Reang, Parimal Debbarma, Shambhulal Chakma, Birendra Kishore and others.

Meanwhile, at least 34 BJP supporters – who were coming to attend JP Nadda’s Khumulwng Janasabha on Monday from different areas - were injured after miscreants, allegedly supporters of Tipra Motha, resorted to hooliganism.

Alleged Tipra Motha supporters armed with sticks and sharp weapons unleashed violence at Jagaibari in Pramodnagar under Bishramganj and at Namanjoypara under Champahaor police station in Teliamura.    

The attacks on the rally-bound BJP workers were launched despite the appeal of peace by Tipra Motha chief Pradyot Kishore Debbarma through live video on social media. It appears the appeal of Debbarma fell flat among his supporters, at least, in Pramodnagar and Namanjoypara areas.