Pradyot Blames Ranjit to Escape Responsibility for Tripura Bandh, Growing Rift in TIPRA Motha Over Founder’s One-Sided Decisions

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, October 28, 2025

Tensions have escalated within TIPRA Motha as a serious rift has surfaced among the party’s top leadership following the recent 24-hour Tripura bandh on October 23. The bandh, called by an NGO named Tiprasa Civil Society, was led by TIPRA Motha MLA Ranjit Debbarma. Although it was evident that the bandh had the backing of TIPRA Motha, founder Pradyot Kishore Debbarma has now distanced himself and shifted the blame onto MLA Ranjit Debbarma.

During the bandh, incidents of violence broke out at Shantirbazar under Kamalpur subdivision, where government officials, traders, and common citizens were reportedly assaulted by bandh supporters. This led to widespread public outrage across the state. Prior to the bandh, Ranjit Debbarma had repeatedly assured that it would be conducted peacefully and within democratic norms. However, the violent turn of events created a negative perception of the bandh and, by extension, of TIPRA Motha itself.

Sensing the growing resentment, Pradyot Kishore and Ranjit Debbarma rushed to GB Hospital to visit those injured in the clashes. Soon after, Pradyot publicly declared that his party had not called the bandh. He admitted that one of his MLAs supported it but asserted that he personally opposed the idea of bandhs, both during his time in the Congress and now as TIPRA Motha’s leader. According to him, bandhs ultimately harm poor people from both tribal and non-tribal communities.

However, questions remain unanswered. Political observers note that it is highly unlikely that Ranjit Debbarma would have dared to call a 24-hour statewide bandh under the banner of Tiprasa Civil Society without Pradyot’s prior approval. If, as Pradyot claims, Ranjit acted independently, why has no disciplinary action been taken against him for going against party policy?

These developments suggest growing internal dissatisfaction with Pradyot’s unilateral decision-making style. Many within the party believe that Ranjit has been made a scapegoat to protect Pradyot’s image and minimize the political fallout of the bandh, which has drawn widespread criticism from the public.

As the controversy deepens, TIPRA Motha finds itself battling not only public backlash but also a serious crisis of internal trust and leadership cohesion.

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