Tipra Motha founder and royal scion Pradyot Kishore Manikya courted controversy after his remarks about restoring the “Tripura Empire”. Lord Manikya urged the people of Tiprasa to maintain thansa (unity) among themselves to regain the lost glory.
“I see a portrait of Maharaja Bir Bikram here. He was the king of Tripura, but today someone else is the king,” Mr Manikya said on Saturday (Jan 17, 2026) at a meeting of Kshatriya Samaj tribal peoples in Charilam, Sepahijala district.
Wearing a pagdi (turban) and a “court sword” in hand, the king delivered a speech before hundreds of supporters who usually addressed him as “Bubagra” (king).
Mr. Manikya is known for creating controversies through rhetoric. However, opposition parties, including the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) and the Congress, accuse him of manipulating the sentiments of indigenous people to gain greater political reach and are negotiating terms with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
His party, Tipra Motha, is part of the BJP-led coalition government and is the ruling party in the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC). Elections to TTAADC and village committees are expected to be held soon.
Tensions are rising in the hills and hinterlands of the state, with Tipra Motha struggling to maintain its position and the BJP often holding political events to expand its base. Supporters of the two sides often clash, sometimes violently, and call for the intervention of security forces.
Published – 17 Jan 2026 22:03 IST