Citizenship Bill: Tripura Police charge 3 tribal leaders with sedition

Police claim anti-national slogans were raised at the rally which was called to oppose the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill.

Tripura police have filed sedition cases against three tribal leaders for taking part in an anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Bill rally last week at Khumulwng, 15 kilometres away from Agartala.

A protest by Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT) leaders and supporters demanding the withdrawal of Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in December 2018. (PTI)

The three leaders Jagadish Debbarma, general secretary of Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT), Aghore Debbarma, a leader of Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT) Tipraha and Anthony Debbarma, a leader from Borok People Human Rights Organization (BPHRO) were present in the rally on January 30 where anti-national slogans were reportedly raised, police said.

“The rally was not organised with prior permission. Case was registered on Monday against the three for participating in the rally where anti national slogans were raised,” said an officer in police headquarters.

The rally was organised by Tripura United Indigenous Peoples Council (TUIPC), a body of 48 surrendered militants to protest against the Bill.

(INPT) General secretary Jagadish Debbarma who is in New Delhi called it a “political conspiracy.”

“We will be back in Agartala in two days and will discuss about our next move,” he said.

Tripura Congress working president and scion of the former royal family Pradyot Kishore Debbarma took to Twitter to criticise the police for filing sedition cases.

The Bill has sparked major protests across the Northeast and particularly in Assam where the BJP-led government’s coalition partner AGP quit the alliance in protest on December.

Last month, the Assam Police slapped sedition charges against academic and intellectual Hiren Gohain, peasant rights leader Akhil Gogoi and journalist Manjit Mahanta for speaking against the Bill at a public rally in Guwahati.