Agartala, March 16, 2026: Chief Minister Prof. Dr. Manik Saha on Sunday launched a sharp political attack on leaders advocating ethnic identity politics, stating that those who speak only Hindi while repeatedly invoking the slogan of “Thansa” pose a serious concern for Tripura. He said that under the present democratic system, leadership of any community must be rooted in language, culture, and genuine representation rather than slogans.
The Chief Minister made the remarks while addressing a mass membership induction programme organised by Bharatiya Janata Party at Rabindra Shatabarshiki Bhavan in Agartala, where 3,189 voters from 1,336 families formally joined the party.
Welcoming the new members into the BJP fold, Dr. Saha said the party’s growing support reflected public trust in its governance and development agenda. He asserted that a leader claiming to represent tribal identity must be able to speak the community’s language, adding that genuine tribal leadership cannot be established through rhetoric alone.
Referring to tribal leaders within the BJP, he said leaders such as Rebati Tripura and Bikash Debbarma represent authentic leadership because of their connection with the language and culture of the indigenous people.
Without naming any individual directly, Dr. Saha criticised those who had earlier denied ambitions for the Chief Minister’s post but are now openly expressing such aspirations. He alleged that contradictory statements on issues such as script adoption and tribal politics were being used to mislead the public.
The Chief Minister also accused certain political groups of exploiting students over the script issue and later changing their stand during discussions with the government. He reiterated that the state government had already made clear that adoption of the Roman script was not feasible.
Taking aim at governance in the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council, Dr. Saha alleged that anarchy and corruption were prevailing there and said the public could imagine the consequences if such leadership were extended to the state government.
He maintained that Tipra Motha Party remains a coalition partner, but said alliance politics does not permit attacks or conspiracies against BJP workers. According to him, tribal communities continue to support the BJP because of development initiatives undertaken under the leadership of Narendra Modi.
Dr. Saha further highlighted that out of twelve ministers in the state cabinet, five belong to tribal communities, adding that key constitutional posts such as the Speaker of the Assembly and the Chairman of the Tripura Public Service Commission are also held by tribal representatives.
Among those present at the programme were BJP state president Rajib Bhattacharjee, State General Secretary Bipin Debbarma, Minister Santana Chakma, party leaders, ADC members and district-level office-bearers.
