Tipra Motha MLA Ranjit Debbarma surrenders security cover, to return to village

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Tipra Motha MLA Ranjit Debbarma has decided to surrender his personal security officers (PSOs) and return to his village, alleging repeated changes in his security personnel without prior intimation or a clear explanation.

Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha on Friday said he would speak to the Director General of Police (DGP) to ascertain the reasons behind the changes and examine the matter.

“Ranjit Debbarma does not usually come to me and mostly communicates with the DGP. He has not informed me about this directly. If such an incident has occurred, I will ask the DGP why his PSO was changed,” Saha told reporters.

Earlier in the day, Debbarma alleged at a press conference that his security personnel had been changed repeatedly over the past four-and-a-half years, since he became an MLA. He said the withdrawal of a PSO without prior intimation had raised concerns about his security arrangements.

The MLA claimed that one of his PSOs, Sukesh Debbarma, was withdrawn on October 10, ahead of Durga Puja, without informing him or issuing any written order. He said the officer had performed his duties properly and that neither he nor the PSO had raised any complaint about their working arrangement.

In a letter dated October 13 addressed to the Superintendent of Police (Security Wing), Debbarma alleged partiality, bias and harassment in the handling of his security arrangements. He said a similar incident had occurred earlier when the security cover of another PSO, Parimal Debbarma, was withdrawn.

The MLA said he had written to the authorities several times seeking an explanation for the repeated changes and improvements to his security arrangements. According to him, officials had told him that the reasons could not be disclosed because they concerned security matters. He added that he had received no response to his latest letter.

Debbarma further alleged that some MLAs and ministers had retained the same PSOs for eight to nine years, while his security personnel had been changed repeatedly without a clear explanation. He also claimed that similar changes had affected some Tipra Motha representatives, other MLAs and members of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC).

In his letter, copies of which were sent to the chief minister and the DGP, Debbarma alleged that no specific transfer policy appeared to be followed by the Security Wing. He cited the withdrawal of his PSOs as an instance of what he described as discriminatory treatment and requested that all personnel assigned to his security be withdrawn.

The MLA said he had no personal complaint against any security personnel and would not have objected to a change if there had been a specific complaint against an officer. He announced that he would relinquish his security cover and return to his village, from where he would continue his organisational and other activities.

Debbarma also urged the chief minister to examine whether the actions of some police officials were creating internal discord or working against the government's interests.

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