Agartala, Oct 23 (NationPress) On Thursday, the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) had to cancel, short-terminate, or control nine trains, including four express services, in Tripura due to the blockade of railway tracks at various locations by activists from the Tipra Motha Party (TMP)-linked civil society.

The Tiprasa Civil Society (TCS), spearheaded by TMP MLA Ranjit Debbarma, initiated a 24-hour shutdown in Tripura to advocate for its eight-point demands, which include the expulsion of illegal migrants.

NFR Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Kapinjal Kishore Sharma confirmed that four express trains, such as the Sabroom (Tripura) – Sealdah Kanchanjungha Express, Charlapalli (Hyderabad) – Agartala, Silchar – Agartala Express, and Agartala-Silchar Express, along with five local trains, were either short-terminated, controlled, or cancelled.

The abrupt cancellation and short-termination of numerous key express and local trains left thousands of passengers in a challenging predicament.

Sharma stated that supporters of the shutdown and picketers obstructed railway tracks at multiple sites in Tripura since Thursday morning, prompting the NFR to take these measures.

A senior police official reported that to ensure the success of the shutdown, picketers waving national flags conducted sit-in protests at over 52 strategic locations and highways across the state, with some also occurring along railway tracks in the West Tripura and Khowai districts.

"No incidents of violence have been reported from anywhere in the state. The situation remains well managed by the police and administration," the official noted, adding that substantial contingents of security forces, including the Tripura State Rifles (TSR) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), were deployed statewide.

The Tiprasa Civil Society (TCS), led by TMP MLA Ranjit Debbarma, organized the 24-hour shutdown on Thursday to emphasize its eight-point charter of demands. These demands entail the immediate enforcement of the Tiprasa Accord, identification and expulsion of all illegal immigrants, establishment of detention camps for illegal immigrants in each district, conducting elections for the Village Committees under the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC), and the implementation of the Inner Line Permit system to curb infiltration.

Debbarma, a senior TMP leader, pointed out that several BJP-led states, including Assam, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Delhi, have taken measures against illegal migrants, yet the Tripura government has failed to act despite directives from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

"The BJP government conducts elections in all urban and rural bodies but is avoiding elections for the Village Committees under the TTAADC," the tribal leader shared with the media.