Agartala witnessed heightened tensions on Wednesday, June 25, 2025, as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) activists staged protests at the residence and MLA hostel of Congress legislator Sudip Roy Barman. The uproar was triggered by alleged remarks made by Barman during a Congress party tribal convention in Ambassa, Dhalai district, where he purportedly stated that "BJP leaders urinate on tribals." These comments sparked immediate outrage, particularly among the BJP's tribal wing, the Janajati Morcha.
The BJP's Janajati Morcha, along with other party members, gathered in large numbers in front of Barman's official residence and the MLA hostel in Agartala. Protesters demanded an unconditional apology and his resignation, deeming his statement unconstitutional, derogatory, and deeply insulting to the indigenous community. BJP tribal leader Bipin Debbarma emphasized that Barman should immediately resign for hurting the dignity of tribals. The protestors broke open the hostel gate, stormed inside, and vandalized chairs, with some reports indicating stones and bricks were hurled at the legislator's residence.
In response to the protests and vandalism, Superintendent of Police (West Tripura), Kiran Kumar, arrived at the scene to assess the situation, stating that the situation was under control with adequate security personnel deployed.
MLA Sudip Roy Barman has defended his remarks, referencing a past incident in Madhya Pradesh where a man with BJP links was filmed urinating on a tribal worker, an incident that caused national outrage. Barman stated that his comments were not intended to insult the tribal community but to highlight what he believes is the BJP's animosity towards marginalized communities, including Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes (OBC). He further cited another event in Odisha where Scheduled Caste men were allegedly humiliated by cow vigilantes, asserting that these were not isolated incidents but reflections of a deeper issue. He added that voices raised in support of the tribal community cannot be silenced through threats or violence and accused the BJP of harboring a "perverted mentality" towards these communities.
BJP leaders, including state president Rajib Bhattacharjee, have strongly condemned Barman's statement. Bhattacharjee accused Roy Barman of never working for tribal development and alleged that he clandestinely helped the Communist Party of India (Marxist) or CPI(M) to remain in power in exchange for favors. He added that neither the CPI(M) nor Congress worked for the tribals during their respective periods of regimes and that their mindset on tribals is reflected through his comments.
The incident has further strained the already tense political climate in Tripura, exacerbating the polarization around caste and tribal-related issues.
