Tripura Pradesh Congress leader and MLA Sudip Roy Barman strongly criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for its handling of the recent Bishalgarh Hijab incident.
The incident involved an attack on a Class 10 student on August 4 last who was allegedly supporting the wearing of hijab in school.
Addressing the media at a press conference held at Agartala Congress Bhawan on Saturday, Barman expressed his concerns at the incident and said, “The BJP seems to be intentionally stoking communal animosity to divert attention from their shortcomings in executing developmental projects. The disturbing events in Bishalgarh, where the BJP allegedly attempted to fuel religious tensions between Hindus and Muslims, are deeply troubling.”
Barman didn’t limit his criticism to just the state government. He also directed his ire towards the BJP-led central government for its handling of the ongoing violence in Manipur.
“The escalating violence in Manipur is a grave concern, but the Prime Minister’s silence on the matter is perplexing. The government’s failure to address the situation in Manipur is evident,” Barman remarked.
“The inability of both the central and state governments to address the legitimate concerns of the public is leading them to incite communal hatred as a distraction,” Barman emphasized.
The Congress MLA went on to target the BJP-led coalition government in Tripura for its perceived lackadaisical administration, which he believes is causing hardships for the general public.
He further stated, “Mere creation of ponds across the state and establishment of weekend tourist destinations can’t be categorized as genuine development. True progress should involve addressing the genuine issues faced by the public.”
“Across various sectors, from healthcare to others, the State government’s inability to drive progress is evident,” Barman asserted.
He criticized the state’s healthcare system, asserting that it has crumbled, resulting in unfortunate patient deaths due to inadequate treatment.
Shifting gears, the state president of the Congress, Ashish Kumar Saha, welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision to stay the conviction of party leader Rahul Gandhi in a 2019 criminal defamation case linked to his “Modi surname” remark.
Saha believed that the people of the northeastern states are supporting Gandhi’s endeavor to “uphold democratic values” in the nation.
Saha informed the media that Tripura Pradesh Congress is gearing up to initiate a series of programs with members of the indigenous communities across the state, starting from August 9 spotlighting the BJP government’s shortcomings in uplifting the socio-economic conditions of the indigenous people.