Tripura Ex Royal's "Dignity, Respect" Reply To Himanta Sarma's Talks Offer

The Tipra Motha Party, which emerged as the second largest party in the recent Tripura elections, today said it is ready for talks with the BJP on the basis of a Constitutional solution for the state.

This comes after Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma offered to resume talks with the tribal-dominated party led by former royal scion Pradyot Manikya Debbarman.

"I've heard the statement of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma that they are ready to hold talks with us. If they call us with dignity and respect, we will sit with them for talks, but not on the basis of any post. We will talk with them only on the basis of the Constitutional solution of Tripura," said Mr Debbarman.

"We are the indigenous people of Tripura. If you think you can rule Tripura by ignoring our rights, then you will face problem. Tipra Motha was formed for the Constitutional rights of the indigenous people of Tripura," he stated.

The people of Tripura voted for us and our party cannot let them down by compromising, said the former royal scion.

"We are the son of the soil fighting for our constitutional rights. If they are ready for a written assurance on the constitutional solution of Tripura, we are ready to sit with them. The people of Tripura voted for us, we cannot ignore their rights only on the basis of posts," he added.

After the election results were out, Mr Sarma, the BJP's master strategist for the Northeast, had said that the issues raised by the Tipra Motha Party (TMP) need to be discussed by the Centre and the new BJP government in Tripura.

He said talks between the BJP and the TMP may resume but it should be under the Constitutional framework, and not on the condition of dividing Tripura.

Mr Debbarman's Tipra Motha won 13 seats in the 60-member Tripura assembly in what was its debut electoral fight. The BJP won the election with 33 seats while the Left-Congress alliance secured 14 seats. Trinamool Congress failed to open its account.