Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha issued a public apology on Sunday after mistakenly referring to the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT), the ruling BJP’s alliance partner, as an outlawed group during a political rally in poll-bound Bihar. The incident occurred during a rally at Ramnagar, Bihar, on Saturday, where Saha was addressing a crowd gathered to mark the filing of nomination papers by two BJP candidates.
During his speech, Saha made a statement mentioning that members of the National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT), All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF), and IPFT had surrendered to lead normal lives. Inadvertently, he had grouped the IPFT with banned militant outfits, causing confusion and concern.
Acknowledging his error, Saha took to social media platform Facebook on Sunday to issue an apology and clarify his statement. In his post, he mentioned, “While addressing in Bihar (on Saturday), I inadvertently referred to IPFT like NLFT and ATTF. As soon as the matter came to my knowledge, I called up IPFT president Prem Kumar Reang and tendered my apology for an unintentional mistake.”
The Chief Minister’s swift action in clarifying his statement and reaching out to the IPFT leadership has been seen as a strategic move to prevent any political misunderstandings within the alliance ahead of key elections. The IPFT, which represents the state’s indigenous communities, holds significance as a crucial ally of the BJP in Tripura’s political landscape, especially in tribal-dominated areas.
The incident serves as a reminder of the importance of precise and accurate communication in the political arena, particularly during sensitive times such as election campaigns. Saha’s apology and clarification have been welcomed by the IPFT leadership and are expected to help maintain the harmony within the ruling alliance in Tripura.
