A day before the second phase of Lok Sabha elections, the ruling BJP on Thursday has served a show cause notice to one of the party’s Vice-Presidents Patal Kanya Jamatia, who accused Tipra Motha chief Pradyot Kishore Debbarma for  “spreading hatred” among tribals and non-tribals in the state.

Tripura BJP Chief Spokesman Subrata Chakraborty said that the party has served a show cause notice to Jamatia and asked her to reply to the notice within five days.  

He said that this is her personal remark and observation and the party strongly disapproved of her statement.

“A show-cause notice served to her. Our state President Rajib Bhattacharjee would decide on action after getting the reply from Jamatia,” Chakraborty told the media.

A veteran tribal leader Jamatia, who is also the chairperson of state government owned Tribal Rehabilitation and Plantation Corporation (TRPC), alleged that Motha supremo Debbarma “through his narrow politics spreading hatred among various ethnic groups among tribals like Tripuri, Jamatia, and Reang and tribals and non-tribals.

She also claimed that Debbarma, a scion of erstwhile Tripura’s royal dynasty, has not only “cheated the tribals in the name of politics involving indigenous people” but he is also damaged the image and reputation of the state’s royal family.

She asserted that the “indigenous people would not support his party if he did not apologise”.

Terming Debbarma as a ‘middleman’, Jamatia said that Tipra-Motha chief talked big against BJP till recently but now he has changed colours and joined BJP to serve his personal interest.

She also cautioned top BJP leadership against putting too much trust in Debbarma who “has only his personal agenda to fulfil”.

“I am a faithful soldier of the party and dedicated follower of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. That’s why I am saying all this.

This man (Debbarma) can do no good to the state and indigenous people. I must try by all means to protect the interests of my party,” Jamatia stated.

The Tipra-Motha remained silent on Jamatia’s remarks but the BJP disapproved of the statement of the party’s state vice president.

After signing a tripartite agreement with the Centre and the state government on March 2, the opposition Motha joined the BJP-led coalition government on March 7 and two of its MLAs – Animesh Debbarma and Brishaketu Debbarma -- became ministers.

Motha chief Debbarma persuaded the central BJP leaders to nominate her elder sister Kriti Singh Debbarma to field in the Tripura East Lok Sabha seat as BJP nominee prompting resentment both among the tribal leaders of BJP and Tipra-Motha. Kriti Singh Debbarma is a resident of Chhattisgarh for many years.