BJP hits back at Congress statement on Tripura saffron candidates, says it has no right to interfere in its internal affairs

Reacting to Roy Barman’s remarks on the BJP not repeating its sitting Lok Sabha MPs in the state, Bhattacharya said it was an internal matter of the BJP and the Congress need not worry.

“The Congress has no authority to interfere in the internal affairs of the BJP or to question our decision about appointments of candidates or leaders,” Bhattacharya said.

He also remarked that the Congress high command lacked clarity on what ought to be the party’s stand regarding the Citizenship Amendment Act.

On Roy Barman’s ‘prediction’ that the tie-up with the BJP would harm the prospects of the Tipra Motha, the BJP spokesperson said, “It is not the BJP’s responsibility to safeguard or promote other political parties… Everyone knows what happened when a chief minister was changed during the Congress regime and for what reasons the decision was made. The BJP considers the nation to be foremost and the party’s interest comes later.”

On Thursday, Roy Barman had accused Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma of “playing with the sentiments of tribals” and asked tribals to “boycott” the Tipra Motha. He had also criticised Pradyot Kishore for fielding his sister as the BJP candidate from the East Tripura parliamentary constituency.

Roy Barman said the BJP was “successful in their conspiracy to crush Pradyot Kishore Debbarma and his party” and added that the “lotus has blossomed in pineapple”, in an apparent reference to the party symbols of the BJP and the Tipra Motha.

Meanwhile, when Deb at another event was asked about the Congress and the CPI(M)’s recent criticism of the BJP, the former CM said, “These parties do not have any vision, future or existence. I do not have time to think about them.”