Tipra Motha Party founder to seek legal opinion to oppose CAA

May 22, 2024

Agartala (Tripura) [India], May 23 : Tipra Motha Party founder Pradyot Kishore Debbarman on Wednesday said that he would seek legal opinion to oppose the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act so that future generations could be protected.
It may be mentioned here that Tipra Motha Party, which emerged as the biggest opposition force after the 2023 Assembly election, joined hands with the ruling BJP just before the Lok Sabha elections.
The party got two ministerial berths in the state council of ministers headed by Chief Minister Manik Saha and Debbarman's sister was nominated by the BJP as a candidate from ST reserved East Tripura parliamentary constituency.
In an audio message circulated by the party's media department, Debbarman said that he would return to Agartala after taking legal opinions on the Citizenship Amendment Act which promises citizenship to religious minorities from neighbouring states.
" I shall also seek legal opinions on the matter. After that, if the situation demands a next step to protect the Tiprasa (a term used to describe the people belonging to tribal communities), we shall explore every possible way."
Stating that his party would never sit idle, Debbarman said that to secure the future of the next generation, his party would leave no stones unturned. "We have to secure ourselves legally, constitutionally and on all other grounds. Already, we are a minority in our own land. We shouldn't allow any other step which can further alienate us. I am already fighting in the Supreme Court against the government of India law. My lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi is pleading with the apex court on my behalf. We are fighting the case keeping our political interests aside," Debbarman explained.
Notably, Tipra Motha, the current ruling party, emerged from a movement against the CAA.
Notably, Tripura is preparing to implement the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). However, the Act will not apply to the state's Autonomous District Councils (ADCs).
The Sixth Schedule of the Indian constitution gives tribal communities considerable autonomy; the States of Assam, Tripura, Meghalaya, and Mizoram are autonomous regions under the Sixth Schedule.
For those seeking Indian citizenship under the CAA, applications can be submitted online through the Citizenship Online website or via a mobile app.
The Act allows Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Christians, Parsis, and Buddhists from neighbouring countries (Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan) who entered India before December 31, 2014, to apply for citizenship after verification.