Former Tripura Chief Minister and BJP candidate for West Tripura Parliamentary Constituency, Biplab Kumar Deb on Sunday advised the newly enrolled Bru voters to ask CPI-M why they had been referred to as refugees in their own country during the prolonged left rule in Tripura.

Deb was addressing a public meeting at Naising Para, a Bru settlement located 176 kilometres away from the capital Agartala city.

He was campaigning for BJP East Tripura candidate Kriti Singh Debbarman who also happens to be the sister of Tipra Motha founder and royal scion Pradyot Kishore Debbarman.

She was fielded as a joint candidate of Tipra Motha, IPFT and BJP but was nominated as a BJP candidate.

“Whenever the Opposition party candidate comes here to seek votes, ask them why you people have to lead a life of refugees in the shelter camps here for decades. Earlier Jitendra Choudhary was the MP from East Tripura. He was a minister in the Tripura cabinet as well. This is the right time to point the right question to the right person,” Deb told the gathering.

According to Deb, the internally displaced Brus received a dignified life because of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and all basic amenities of life would continue to reach them if PM Modi stays in power.

“Two years ago, this area didn’t have access to clean water. There was no motorable road. The Pucca houses were a distant dream. Today, everything has become possible because of PM Modi. If he continues holding the top position, all these basic facilities will stay. In his absence, everything will vanish. In the absence of Modi, you will not get water. In his absence, the roads and houses will never get repaired. If you approach communist leaders, they will tell you to organise protests,” said Deb.

The former Chief Minister also quoted data showcasing the sharp rise in the allocation of funds for Tripura.

“When UPA was in power, Tripura received Rs 40,000 crore from the central government. In NDA’s ten years, the total allocation saw a sharp rise. Around Rs 1 lakh crore was released for development works in Tripura. This shows the intent of PM Modi led Central government towards the North East,” Deb added.

Urging the voters to cast their votes in favour of BJP, Deb said, “Each and every vote of the Bru voters should go to Didi. Our slogan should be every vote for Didi. On April 26, the first job is to cast your vote after breakfast.”

Tipra Motha founder Pradyot Kishore Debbarman was also present at the meeting.

Around 40,000 internally displaced Bru migrants took shelter in six relief camps in Tripura’s North District after ethnic clashes broke out in Mizoram in the year 1997. In 2020, a quadripartite agreement was signed between Government of India, Government of Tripura, Government of Mizoram, and Bru leaders that allowed the IDPs to be settled in Tripura peramnently. They were accordingly enrolled in the electoral rolls of Tripura. New settlements have been created in as many as 12 locations of Tripura for them. The total number of Bru voters in Tripura is around 17,000, an official has said.