Snub to Pradyot? Gomati SP Transferred, But DM Who Allegedly Ignored Him Continues

The decision signals a clear message from the government that it is not willing to surrender to pressure politics, even from its own alliance partner.

In a surprise twist to the ongoing standoff with Tipra Motha, the ruling BJP-led Tripura government has transferred Gomati district Superintendent of Police (SP) Namit Pathak, while retaining District Magistrate (DM) Tarit Kanti Chakma—the official at the centre of Tipra Motha’s protest.

The decision signals a clear message from the government that it is not willing to surrender to pressure politics, even from its own alliance partner.

The transfer order, issued on Wednesday, comes just two days after Tipra Motha’s youth wing, the Young Tipra Federation (YTF), led a massive protest in front of the Gomati DM office. Accusing the DM of misbehaving with party founder and royal scion Pradyot Kishore Debbarma, YTF had issued a one-week ultimatum to the state government demanding Chakma’s removal.

However, in a move that has caught political observers and Tipra Motha leaders by surprise, the government instead chose to shift the SP and left the DM untouched.

SP Namit Pathak has been relieved of his duties and instructed to report to the police headquarters in Agartala, even as the DM continues in office.

Monday’s protest saw thousands of Tipra Motha and YTF supporters defying heavy rainfall to gather outside the DM’s office. In a symbolic act of defiance, Motha leaders, accompanied by police and security personnel, locked the gates of the DM complex in full public view—an episode that drew widespread criticism and was seen as a serious dent in the government’s image and the morale of the police force.

The incident occurred in the absence of Chief Minister and Home Minister Dr. Manik Saha, who was out of the state at the time. Upon his return, the SP’s sudden transfer appears to be a calculated face-saving measure, aimed at containing the fallout without appearing to bow down to Tipra Motha’s demands.

Earlier the Chief Minister has said that he had asked Chief Secretary J K Sinha to enquire into the issue and submit official report in his table but YTF and other sister organizations affiliated with Motha alleged that the government failed to take any necessary step against the said DM within the stipulated time frame fixed by them.

The government’s refusal to act against the DM, despite an ultimatum and growing pressure from its alliance partner, suggests a hardening of stance by the BJP against what it perceives as aggressive posturing by Tipra Motha.

With opposition parties repeatedly accusing the state police of inaction and the law-and-order situation deteriorating, this reshuffle may also be aimed at reasserting control and restoring administrative authority.

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