Power Minister Ratan Lal Nath on Friday criticized regional political parties for promoting slogans such as Tipraland and Thansa, stating that these are unrealistic and intended to mislead the Janajati community. He emphasized that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is the only party committed to genuine development in tribal areas.
Addressing an election rally at Birmohanbari under the Bodhjungnagar-Wakhinagar constituency in support of BJP candidate Ranabir Debbarma, Nath said that such demands are impractical and distract people from real progress.
He highlighted several welfare initiatives undertaken by the BJP government since coming to power. According to him, out of 6,000 families in the area, nearly 4,000 are already receiving free rice, with plans to extend the benefit to all eligible households except government employees. He also noted that the government has achieved full household water connectivity and significantly expanded social pension coverage—from around 500 beneficiaries earlier to nearly 2,000 now.
Nath further pointed out that recognition of Janajati individuals has increased under the current government. He said that since 2018, 11 people from Tripura have been awarded the Padma Shri, nine of whom belong to the Janajati community, which he claimed did not happen before.
He also mentioned that Jishnu Dev Varma, a member of the Janajati community, has become a Governor—something he said was unprecedented earlier—and credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for prioritizing tribal welfare and development.
The Minister accused opposition and regional parties of making promises without delivering results. He reiterated that the BJP government is investing heavily in tribal development while also working to preserve their culture and language—areas he claimed were neglected by previous governments.
Concluding his speech, Nath said that while slogans like Tipraland and Thansa are being used for political gain, the BJP’s focus remains on inclusive growth and tangible development for all communities.
