Agartala: Members of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Janajati Morcha on Wednesday staged a vehement protest at the old MLA hostel in Tripura’s Agartala, condemning controversial remarks made by Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman.
The protest ignited after Roy Barman’s address at a rally in Ambassa, where he reportedly linked the ruling BJP to a caste-based atrocity in Madhya Pradesh.
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Referencing a viral video depicting a man urinating on a tribal worker, Roy Barman alleged the accused’s association with the BJP, claiming the incident underscored the party’s “ingrained hatred” towards Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC) communities.
Led by BJP state general secretary Bipin Debbarma, numerous tribal wing members gathered outside the hostel, demanding a public apology and the immediate resignation of Roy Barman. The demonstration reportedly escalated into a chaotic scene, with reports of broken furniture and stone-pelting on the MLA hostel premises.
“This is an unconstitutional statement. We demand that he apologize or step down,” Debbarma asserted, warning of state-wide protests if their demands weren’t met.
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Roy Barman, however, remained firm on his stand. Defending his earlier statements, he said, “Breaking gates and throwing stones won’t hide the truth. The BJP’s attitude toward marginalized communities is evident,” he stated, citing similar incidents in Odisha as further evidence. He also questioned the police’s delayed response, alleging that the protesting crowd was allowed to act for nearly 50 minutes before security forces intervened.
The situation was eventually brought under control with the deployment of heavy police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel. “The crowd has dispersed. Law and order is stable,” confirmed West Tripura SP Kiran Kumar K.