National News
BJP’s ally TMP observes 24-hour shutdown over eight demands in Tripura
Agartala, Oct 23: Normal life was affected in Tripura on Thursday after the ruling BJP’s ally, the Tipra Motha Party (TMP)-affiliated civil society, called a 24-hour shutdown in support of its eight-point demands, including the deportation of illegal migrants.
A senior police official said that to make the shutdown successful, picketers organised sit-in demonstrations at more than 52 key locations across the state and in two places along the railway tracks in West Tripura and Khowai districts.
“There is no report of any untoward incident from anywhere in the state. The situation is quite under the control of the police and administration,” the official said, adding that large contingents of security forces, including the Tripura State Rifles (TSR) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), were deployed across the state.
Though attendance of employees and officers in most government offices and banks across Tripura was almost normal, private offices, shops, markets, and business establishments in many places remained closed. Movement of public vehicles on most highways, including National Highway-8, the surface lifeline of Tripura, came to a halt as bandh supporters blockaded roads at several points.
The Tiprasa Civil Society (TCS), led by TMP MLA Ranjit Debbarma, called the 24-hour shutdown on Thursday to highlight its eight-point charter of demands.
The demands include the immediate implementation of the Tiprasa Accord, identification and deportation of all illegal immigrants, setting up of detention camps in each district for illegal immigrants, holding of elections to the Village Committees under the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC), and introduction of the Inner Line Permit system to prevent infiltration.
Debbarma, who is also a senior TMP leader, said that several BJP-ruled states, including Assam, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Delhi, have taken steps against illegal migrants, but the Tripura government has yet to act despite directives from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
“The BJP government holds elections in all urban and rural bodies, but is not holding the elections to the Village Committees under the TTAADC,” the tribal leader told the media.
The Tripura government had earlier issued a notification announcing that all its offices would remain open on Thursday. “It has come to the government’s notice that some organisations have called a statewide bandh on October 23. Keeping this in view, government offices and public sector undertakings will remain open on October 23. The government workforce will work as usual,” the notification said.
While opposing the shutdown, Chief Minister Manik Saha on Wednesday said that development cannot be stalled by observing strikes in the state. Without naming anyone or any party, he said that although an NGO has called the bandh, people know who is behind it.
“Many NGOs have also opposed the strike,” he added. “The bandh call is aimed at drawing media attention and sending a message across the country that something is happening in Tripura, but development cannot be stalled this way,” Saha told the media.
CPI(M) Tripura state secretary and Leader of Opposition Jitendra Chaudhury, also opposing the shutdown, said that the demands on which the strike was called were not related to the common people.
After year-long deliberations and the signing of a tripartite agreement with the Centre and the Tripura government on March 2 last year, the then opposition and tribal-based TMP, which has 13 MLAs, joined the BJP-led coalition government in the state on March 7, 2024, adding a new dimension to Tripura’s political landscape. Two TMP MLAs, Animesh Debbarma and Brishaketu Debbarma, were inducted into the ministry headed by Chief Minister Manik Saha.
The TMP, led by Pradyot Bikram Manikya Debbarma, had also organised a demonstration in Delhi on September 9 to press for its demands.
The party has also been demanding “Greater Tipraland”, a separate state for tribals under Articles 2 and 3 of the Constitution — and the early conduct of the long-pending Village Committee elections within the TTAADC areas. Since 2021, the TMP has been governing the 30-member politically significant TTAADC, which covers two-thirds of Tripura’s 10,491 sq km area and is home to over 12.16 lakh people, about 84 per cent of whom are tribals.
National News
Rahul, Priyanka meet students of coaching institute, hear their grievances

Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra met with students of the Vision IAS coaching institute on Wednesday and heard their problems about the tuition centre.
According to Congress, during the meeting, the students voiced concerns over the declining quality of teaching and study materials at the coaching institute and mentioned that they have not been able to get their fee refunds.
In a post on X, Congress said, “LoP Shri Rahul Gandhi and Congress General Secretary Smt. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra ji met students of the Vision IAS coaching institute.”
“The students raised serious concerns about a sharp decline in the quality of teaching, mentorship and study materials at the institute. They also said the management had been unresponsive to their demands for fee refunds,” the party added.
Vision IAS is a coaching institute for the UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE). It claims to offer General Studies foundation courses, test series, current affairs magazines, and personalised mentoring.
Its classroom centres are located in Delhi (Karol Bagh and Mukherjee Nagar), Jaipur, Pune, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, Ahmedabad, and Lucknow.
Students at the institute have been raising concerns over suspended and repeatedly cancelled classes, a sharp decline in teaching and mentorship quality, and unresponsive management refusing fee refunds for months now.
Earlier in July this year, students and faculty staged a protest outside the main branch of the coaching institute in Delhi’s Karol Bagh over the disruption of academic activities and non-payment of salaries to teachers.
The faculty members raised issues of delayed or withheld payments for several months, while the students demanded fee refunds.
The coaching institute was also in the headlines last year in December when the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) imposed a penalty of Rs 11 lakh on it for publishing misleading advertisements on its official website concerning the results of the UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2022 and 2023, in violation of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
International News
EAM Jaishankar and US counterpart Rubio discuss advancing ties, regional developments

External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar held a meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Mumbai on Tuesday, with discussions focusing on further advancing bilateral ties.
During the meeting, the two ministers exchanged views on regional developments. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor and other officials were also present at the meeting.
“Pleased to meet US Marco Rubio in Mumbai today. We shared views on further advancement of our ties, focusing on trade, energy, technology, defence and people-to-people ties. Also exchanged views on regional developments,” EAM Jaishankar stated on X after the meting.
Rubio said that he and EAM Jaishankar discussed energy security and defence cooperation.
“In Mumbai, Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and I discussed energy security and defense cooperation while reaffirming the importance of advancing the U.S.-India strategic partnership,” the US Secretary of State posted on X.
Earlier, EAM Jaishankar, Marco Rubio and UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan held a meeting in Mumbai, with discussions held on regional energy security and advancing shared economic priorities.
“It was great to meet with Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan to discuss regional energy security and advance our shared economic priorities,” Rubio stated on X after the meeting.
Following the meeting, Ambassador Gor also took to X and wrote: “The US, India, and UAE have real opportunities to advance cooperation on energy, trade, technology, and regional connectivity. Marco Rubio, S Jaishankar, and UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Mumbai for a discussion on turning our close ties into concrete results!”
Earlier in the day, Marco Rubio arrived in Mumbai for an official visit to India. For his visit to Mumbai, Rubio is accompanied by his wife, Jeanette Rubio and US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) extended a warm welcome to Rubio as he arrived in Mumbai for his second visit to India, noting that it provides an opportunity to further advance cooperation across various pillars of the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership.
“Welcome to Mumbai, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, on your second visit to India! He was received by Shri Ashish Shelar, Minister of Culture, Electronics, IT and AI, Government of Maharashtra at the airport. The visit provides an opportunity to further advance cooperation across the various pillars of the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership,” the MEA posted on X.
After concluding his engagements in Mumbai, Rubio will travel to Gujarat’s Jamnagar for talks that will include “enhanced energy cooperation”, the US State Department said.
Crime
Model Shraddha Dubey, wanted in businessman Shiva Sharma death case, arrested in Nagpur

Model Shraddha Dubey, a key accused in the death of Lucknow-based businessman Shiva Sharma, has been arrested in Nagpur along with her sister Rashmi Dubey and driver Danish, Uttar Pradesh Police said on Tuesday.
The three accused, who had been absconding since the registration of the case, were apprehended by the Lucknow Police and the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) with the assistance of Nagpur Police on Tuesday.
A reward of Rs 50,000 each had been announced for information leading to their arrest.
Following her arrest, Shraddha Dubey has been brought to Bell Road Police Station on Wardha Road in Nagpur, where she is currently being questioned.
Officials of the Uttar Pradesh STF and Nagpur Police are present at the police station and are jointly questioning her.
According to the police, a case under Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) was registered at the Hazratganj Police Station on October 9 on the basis of a written complaint filed by Ranjana Sharma.
The accused are being taken through the necessary legal formalities before being brought to Lucknow for further investigation into Sharma’s death.
Meanwhile, fresh details have emerged about Dubey’s movements during her absconding period.
According to media reports, she stayed for nearly 24 hours at a hotel in Taj Nagari Phase-I in Agra.
The reports claimed that CCTV footage showed a vehicle allegedly linked to Dubey arriving at the hotel at 6:33 a.m. on October 17. Around 20 minutes later, at 6.53 a.m., a woman identified as Dubey reportedly entered the premises. The vehicle’s registration number was reported to be UP32RT8043.
During her absconding period, Dubey had released a video appealing against linking her name with influential individuals.
An earlier viral audio recording, purportedly featuring her threatening Sharma, had also surfaced, in which she was allegedly heard referring to complaining about him to a ‘sir’.
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