BJP joining hands with separatists, trying to divide people of Tripura: Manik Sarkar

Kolkata: Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar on Friday accused the BJP of joining hands with separatist elements and trying to divide the people of the state on religious and ethnic lines.

The BJP and separatists are "hatching a conspiracy" to defeat the Left Front in the assembly elections in the state due in 2018.

"The BJP and separatist forces such as IPTF are hatching a conspiracy to defeat the Left Front government of Tripura. They are trying to divide the people of the state on ethnic and communal lines. They are trying to divide the people on the basis of tribals and non-tribals," Sarkar said at a seminar in Kolkata.

"The biggest achievement of the Left Front government is the unity of the people of the state," he added.

Sarkar's comments comes in the backdrop of Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT), which is demanding a separate tribal state, on Friday saying that it is in talks with the BJP to forge an alliance ahead of Tripura assembly polls.

"The people of Tripura have been living in harmony for the last several decades. They (BJP) can't just divide the people. The Left and the CPI(M) will never allow to do that," he said.

Sarkar accused the BJP-led government at the Centre of slashing central funds for Tripura and other northeastern states.

"The central government has done away with the Planning Commission. It has slashed central funds for Tripura. They want to create an economic blockade-like situation. Some northeastern states which have BJP governments have toned down their protests as they have an understanding," he said.

Sarkar said he was confident that the people of Tripura would realise true intentions of the BJP very soon.