Agartala. The ongoing tussle between Tripura Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha and Union Minister of State for Empowerment and Social Justice Pratima Bhowmik came to the fore at the foundation stone laying ceremony of the Sonamura SDM office in the state’s Sipahijala district on Monday. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers reacted to the matter.
Police sources said on Tuesday that Bhowmik broke the rules and went on stage to deliver a speech before the Chief Minister arrived and formally inaugurated the function. When the Chief Minister reached the venue, she got down from the stage and a large number of people left the function with her.
The District Magistrate and other officials who organized the function got embarrassed by the incident and somehow held back the people till the Chief Minister left for the programme. The District Magistrate could not clarify the incident of Bhowmik going on stage and giving a speech before the arrival of the Chief Minister.
However, Sepahijala District Magistrate Vishwasree B accepted the fact and said, “Due to other programs of the Union Minister, she gave her speech earlier and had left after taking permission from the Chief Minister. In public events people come and go which is not under control.”
According to party sources, Chief Minister Dr. Saha is facing non-cooperation from his predecessors Biplab Kumar Deb and Pratima Bhowmik from the very first day of his tenure as Chief Minister. A senior party functionary said that a group of party leaders and some ministers in the cabinet are also active against the Chief Minister to obstruct governance and create factionalism. Discord in the party is encouraging the opposition.
The leaders said that a faction is actively working against Dr. Saha which tried its best to defeat him in the by-election after he became the Chief Minister. But they failed because of Dr. Saha’s image and strong election administration. Before the assembly elections, this group has become active to create chaos and spread disorder to defame the Chief Minister.
