Agartala: The IPFT Tipraha, a breakaway faction of the Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura, on Friday alleged that IPFT chief N.C. Debbarma had cheated the people to get his share of power in the government.

IPFT Tipraha president Budhu Debbarma said the IPFT had campaigned ahead of the February 18 Assembly polls over the demand of Twipraland and discarded it after making it to the government.

"They fooled thousands of innocent indigenous people with the dream of Twipraland. After forming the government, N.C. Debbarma turned silent. His party is, however, continuing its campaign on the statehood demand in the hills," Budhu said and demanded Debbarma to clear his stand.

The IPFT, floated in the late 1990s with the demand of Twipraland - a proposed state for indigenous communities - suffered a split in 2017 and the IPFT Tipraha was formed. Tipraha means Twipraland in Kokborok.

"The state government has claimed that the Twipraland demand does not exist. The IPFT, which is a partner in the state government, claims otherwise. People should know the truth," IPFT Tipraha leader Binoy Debbarma said.

Reacting to the allegations, IPFT vice-president Ananta Debbarma said Tipraha was "not a part of the IPFT and could not legally use the IPFT in its name".

"They are a group of cheats. Many of their leaders are political turncoats who joined hands with all political parties, even the CPM. We shall stick to the Twipraland demand and will never cease to struggle for our goal," Ananta said.

Since Debbarma and IPFT general secretary Mevar Kumar Jamatia are now part of the cabinet, the party will choose its next group of leaders on April 12.

On a different note, IPFT Tipraha leaders demanded immediate identification of 13,864 non-indigenous families who were "illegally" rehabilitated in the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council in 1984. The council was formed in 1982 and was subsequently alleviated to have greater autonomy and executive rights under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution in 1984.