Agartala, 10th August 2026: The Left Front intensified its political agitation across Tripura on Monday, staging a statewide ‘Jail Bharo’ movement over 11 demands concerning people’s livelihood and rights, with Former Chief Minister Manik Sarkar and Leader of the Opposition Jitendra Chaudhury launching sharp attacks on the BJP-led state government.
Addressing supporters during the agitation, former Chief Minister and former CPI(M) Politburo member Manik Sarkar accused the government of failing to address the pressing economic and livelihood-related problems faced by ordinary people.
Sarkar alleged that despite people across the country and Tripura facing multiple serious issues, the BJP-led government had failed to take effective measures to resolve them. Instead, he claimed, the government was pursuing a politics of division by creating differences among people along community lines.
“The government is not interested in resolving the burning problems of the people and is instead trying to move ahead with a politics of division,” Sarkar alleged, asserting that the government had also failed to respond positively to the CPI(M)’s 11-point demands.
Sarkar also criticised the role of the police and administration during Monday’s agitation. He alleged that the government was using the police and administration to obstruct the protest and prevent the programme from succeeding.
He said the authorities could have appealed to the protesters not to proceed with the civil disobedience programme while assuring them that the government would take necessary steps on their demands. Instead, he alleged, the police were being used to create obstacles.
Leader of the Opposition Jitendra Chaudhury also launched a strong attack on the BJP-led government, alleging that the rights of people in villages and hill areas had been systematically curtailed under the so-called “double-engine government.”
Chaudhury claimed that employment opportunities for young people had declined and alleged that even the traditional rights of jhum cultivators had been taken away, creating growing frustration among rural and tribal communities.
“In several parts of the state, frustration and helplessness have reached such levels that shocking incidents like children being sold have come to light,” Chaudhury alleged, highlighting what he described as the deteriorating socio-economic condition of marginalised communities.
He further accused government departments of functioning under a “regime of loot,” alleging widespread corruption and mismanagement. According to Chaudhury, the agitation was aimed at warning the government and pressing for immediate measures to address people’s problems.
Linking the protest to a broader struggle against what he described as authoritarian tendencies, Chaudhury said, “When rulers turn despotic, citizens are compelled to take the path of civil disobedience.”
He also referred to August as a historically significant month of struggle and sacrifice and called upon supporters to intensify the movement in defence of people’s rights and demands.
According to Chaudhury, Monday’s ‘Jail Bharo’ agitation was not limited to Agartala but was organised simultaneously at nearly 20 locations across Tripura, which he claimed reflected growing public discontent.
The CPI(M) leaders said the Left Front’s movement would continue until the government addressed the concerns of ordinary people. Chaudhury and Sarkar called for further strengthening the agitation, maintaining that the CPI(M) would continue to stand with marginalised sections and raise their demands.
