Tripura’s IPFT defer agitation on statehood

AGARTALA: Ruling BJP’S ally the IPFT has postponed its Wednesday’s shutdown in Tripura following a meeting with Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb, an Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT) spokesman said here on Wednesday.

They will, however, go ahead with a proposed sit-in-demonstration in Delhi next week to press for its decade-old demand for separate state for the tribals, introduction of NRC in Tripura, he added.

“After a high level meeting between Chiefministerbiplabkumardeb,deputy Chief Minister Jishnu Dev Varma and our top party leaders the strike was postponed last night (Tuesday),” IPFT spokesman and Assistant General Secretary Mangal Debbarma said.

The party delegation was led by Revenue Minister and IPFT President Narendra Chandra Debbarma.

“However, we are irm to hold a sit-in demonstration in Delhi next week and submit a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh highlighting the party’s demands,” Debbarma said.

The IPFT, a tribal based party, as part of its agitations earlier announced to observe a 12-hour shutdown in the Tripuratribalareasautonomousdistrict Council (TTAADC) areas on Wednesday.

“The IPFT and its seven frontal organisations had called for the strike in the TTAADC areas in support of the party’s long pending demands.” The other IPFT demands include introduction of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Tripura, withdrawal of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, introduction of inner-line permit in the TTAADC areas andinclusionoftribals’kokboroklanguage in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution.