BJP's ally Tipra Motha hold protests in Tripura against Bangladesh embankments

The Bharatiya Janata Party's ally Tipra-Motha, on Monday, organised massive protests against the construction of embankments by the Bangladesh government along the border with Tripura jeopardising Indian territories during monsoon.

 A large number of men and women Motha protesters organised their demonstrations in South Tripura district headquarters Belonia and they tried to proceed to the India-Bangladesh bordering areas but police prevented them.

The protesters, carrying banners with "We hate Bangladesh government led by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus" engaged in heated arguments with the police officials as to why they are not allowed to go to borders to register their protests.

One of the Motha protesters claimed that the Bangladesh government violating the agreement constructing the embankments just along the zero line of the India-Bangladesh borders and during monsoon district headquarters Belonia and adjoining several villages would be flooded and damage huge properties.

The protesters also demanded the resignation of Muhammad Yunus.

Tipra Motha’s founder and Chief Pradyot Kishore Debbarma earlier urged the Central government to adopt a stronger policy stance towards Bangladesh, accusing the neighbouring country of encouraging fundamentalist forces targeting Hindu minorities.

Debbarma, a former royal scion of Manikya dynasty, voiced full support for India's recent response towards Pakistan after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir.

He submitted that similar resolve be shown in the eastern region against Bangladesh.

"Pakistan and Bangladesh aimed to encircle India, one from the western region and the other from the eastern region," Debbarma said, stressing that incidents affecting eastern India deserve equal national attention and action.

He said that Bangladesh embankments would endanger at least two district headquarters – Belonia and Kailashahar (Unakoti district headquarters).

Various reports suggest that reconstruction work of an elevated big embankment by Bangladesh has been stalled due to opposition of Border Security Force (BSF) in Unakoti district, the neighbouring country now constructing another big embankment on their territory opposite to South Tripura district headquarter Belonia.

Construction of embankments by the Bangladesh government triggered a panic among the people of Unakoti and South Tripura districts and they claimed that during the next monsoon period, vast areas of the two districts would be flooded and might damage huge government and private properties.

Tripura Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha, however, earlier said that he in a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah communicated the embankment issue of Unakoti district and the embankment issue relating to South Tripura district is now under study.

Saying that the state government is seriously looking into the matters, the Chief Minister had said that regarding the embankment issues in South Tripura district detailed information has been gathered and forwarded to the Centre for appropriate action.

Meanwhile, Tripura Public Works Department Secretary Kiran Gitte, who recently visited both Unakoti and South Tripura districts and along with senior officials and conducted on-the-spot studies in both the bordering districts, said that the state government has already taken up to construct new embankments and repairing the old embankments in different parts of the state at a cost of Rs 150 crore.

Opposition Congress organised a series of protests against the construction of embankments by the Bangladesh government while CPI(M) leader Dipankar Sen urged the Tripura government to urgently take up the matter with the Central government.