IPFT threatens to launch movement if Tripura is not exempted

Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT), an ally of the ruling BJP, on Tuesday threatened to launch a movement if the state is not exempted from the purview of the Citizenship Amendment Act.

The party will also agitate for a separate state for tribals of the state, IPFT assistant general secretary, Mangol Debbarma, who is also the spokesperson of the party, said.

We have decided to organize indefinite sit-in at Khumulwng, headquarters of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTADC), from January 6 to press for our demand to exempt Tripura from the ambit of CAA, he told reporters on Tuesday.

Khumulwng is about 20 km from here.

The IPFT came into being in 2009 with the demand for separate Tipraland by carving out the TTAADC, which constitute two third of the state's territory.

IPFT formed the government in alliance with the BJP in March, 2018, and had put off the demand of statehood before the elections as the saffron disagreed to divide Tripura on ethnic lines.

It has, however, raised the demand again and launched a series of agitations against BJP's stand.

Our main demand would be Tipraland and we also demand exemption of the state from CAA, Debbarma said.

The state had witnessed agitations against the Citizenship Amendment Bill(CAB) and the subsequent CAA earlier this month. A series of strikes were called in Tripura by different political parties since December 2.

The Joint Movement against CAB (JMACAB), a forum of three tribal political parties and social organizations, held Tripura Bandh for three days till December 11, protesting against the legislation. After the Bill was passed in Parliament, their leaders met Home Minister Amit Shah at New Delhi.

The JMACAB Monday threatened to relaunch its movement against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) if the state is not exempted from the purview of the controversial act.