‘Clubs in Tripura Have Become Second Offices of BJP Mandal Units’: Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman Says Opposition People's Excluded From All Events
By Our Correspondent
Agartala, October 25, 2026
Senior Congress leader and MLA Sudip Roy Barman has launched a sharp attack on the ruling BJP in Tripura, alleging that clubs across the state have increasingly come under the party’s control and are functioning as extensions of its local organisational units. He claimed that the political atmosphere created under the BJP government was undermining the state’s traditional culture of social harmony, inclusiveness and democratic coexistence.
According to Roy Barman, clubs that traditionally served as community institutions for cultural activities, social welfare and public celebrations have increasingly become politically aligned with the ruling party. He alleged that many clubs now function like “second offices of BJP Mandal units”, raising questions about the politicisation of institutions that were expected to remain open to people across party lines.
The Congress MLA further alleged that opposition leaders, including elected representatives from the respective localities, were being excluded from invitations to social and cultural programmes because of the prevailing political atmosphere. He expressed particular disappointment over the fact that he had not been invited to Durga Puja celebrations at any of the Puja committees within his own Assembly constituency this year.
Roy Barman reportedly said that such exclusion was unprecedented in his experience and contrasted sharply with the earlier tradition of inviting elected representatives and political leaders, irrespective of their party affiliations, to important community celebrations. He suggested that the growing political polarisation had eroded the spirit of mutual respect that once characterised public life in Tripura.
The Congress leader alleged that the political culture promoted under the present dispensation was adversely affecting the state’s social fabric. He argued that community clubs and public institutions should not be treated as the exclusive domain of any political party, as they play an important role in bringing together people from different social and political backgrounds.
Roy Barman also expressed concern over the alleged absence of opposition representatives and neutral minded people from various official government programmes and public functions. According to him, the exclusion of opposition leaders and other representatives from such events was inconsistent with the principles of a healthy democratic society.
He maintained that political differences should not become a reason to deny elected representatives their due place in public and community life. Such practices, if allowed to continue, could deepen divisions among citizens and weaken the tradition of inclusive social engagement, he suggested.
Roy Barman also directed his criticism at Chief Minister Prof. (Dr.) Manik Saha, alleging that the Chief Minister himself was not detached from the prevailing atmosphere of political intolerance.
His remarks came in response to the Chief Minister’s recent comments concerning the INDIA opposition alliance. Reacting to those statements, the Congress MLA alleged that the Chief Minister was displaying political intolerance and insecurity about the possibility of losing power.
Roy Barman suggested that apprehensions about the continuation of his government were influencing the Chief Minister’s public statements. He criticised what he considered to be unnecessary political attacks on the opposition and argued that the head of the government should instead focus on maintaining democratic values, political tolerance and an atmosphere conducive to constructive debate.
The Congress leader’s comments reflect the continuing political confrontation between the ruling BJP and opposition parties in Tripura, with allegations of political exclusion and the use of community institutions becoming part of the wider debate over the state’s democratic environment.
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