Agartala: The BJP’s Janajati Morcha staged a demonstration on Wednesday in front of Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman’s official residence, demanding an unconditional apology for his alleged derogatory remarks about indigenous communities.
The protest stemmed from a speech Roy Barman made during an Adivasi Congress programme in Ambassa, Dhalai district, on Tuesday, where he accused BJP leaders of urinating on indigenous people, alleging this reflected the party’s disdain for the community.
BJP state general secretary Bipin Debbarma condemned the comments, calling them “unparliamentary, derogatory, and objectionable.”
Addressing the protest, Debbarma said, “We demand that Sudip Roy Barman either apologize unconditionally to the indigenous people or resign as an MLA. If he refuses, we will escalate our protests statewide.”
Hundreds of BJP Janajati Morcha leaders and workers gathered at Radhanagar in front of Roy Barman’s residence, raising slogans and staging a sit-in demonstration.
In response, Roy Barman denied targeting indigenous communities, stating that his remarks were aimed at highlighting the BJP’s discriminatory attitude toward Scheduled Tribes (ST), Scheduled Castes (SC), and Other Backward Classes (OBC).
Referring to an incident in Madhya Pradesh in 2023, where a BJP leader was accused of urinating on an Adivasi laborer, he remarked, “I only pointed out the truth about the BJP’s mindset towards marginalized communities. My remarks were not directed at indigenous people but at the BJP’s leadership.”
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Roy Barman also alleged that BJP workers broke into the MLA hostel, a protected area, causing damage to property and throwing stones at windows.
He criticised the police for remaining passive during the hour-long agitation.
Efforts to reach West Tripura Superintendent of Police Kiran Kumar and Officer-in-Charge Paritosh Das for comments on the protest and ensuing commotion were unsuccessful.
