BJP ally IPFT stages stir against govt

AGARTALA: BJP's ally Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT) on Wednesday called a dawn-to-dusk strike in the Lefunga area in northern Agartala against the state government for not addressing its demands.
All the government offices, banks, schools and markets were close for the day and movement of vehicles was restricted in Lefunga block area and on the Agartala-Khowai road.No untoward incident was reported from anywhere.
The BJP-IPFT government was left red-faced with the movement and statement of IPFT leaders against BJP leaders and ministers for non-compliance with the "fundamentals of political alliance". The party leaders, however, indicated they would launch a larger movement unless their demand is fulfilled.
BJP tried to wash its hand of the thing and said the party and the government are not the same thing. "It was their political programme and in no way related to the government and alliance. In a democracy, parities have the right to pursue their political agenda but this should not be considered as turmoil in alliance," said senior minister of the government and representative of the locality, Ratan Lal Nath.
The strike was observed when top leaders of the party including revenue minister Narendra Chandra Debbarma and tribal welfare minister Mevar Kumar Jamatia have been camping in Delhi to meet the Prime Minister and Home Minister seeking compliance of BJP's alliance commitment to form a Modality Committee to study socio-economic, cultural and linguistic issues of tribal.