Opposition Playing Politics on Hawker Issue: CM

• By Thetripurapost Desk, Agartala
• Feb 08, 2026
• 1238

Chief Minister Professor (Dr.) Manik Saha launched a scathing attack on the opposition on Sunday over the ongoing hawker eviction drive undertaken by the Agartala Municipal Corporation (AMC), accusing them of political hypocrisy and selective outrage.

Addressing the controversy, the Chief Minister underscored the need to strike a judicious balance between safeguarding the livelihoods of hawkers and upholding the fundamental right of citizens to unobstructed access to public footpaths. He noted that the AMC is actively working to implement alternative rehabilitation measures, ensuring that both economic sustenance and urban mobility receive equal consideration.
In a pointed critique of the Left Front regime, Dr. Saha alleged that hawkers were previously allowed to occupy municipal spaces unlawfully, only to be summarily evicted later without any structured rehabilitation plan.

“It is paradoxical,” he remarked, “that those who presided over arbitrary evictions are now seeking to moralize the present exercise.”
The Chief Minister further dismissed the opposition’s protests as political theatrics, asserting that the issue is being deliberately amplified to manufacture public discontent and engineer a return to political relevance.
Reiterating the government’s stance, Dr. Saha emphasized that the present administration is committed to resolving the matter strictly within the framework of law, while adopting a humane and inclusive approach. “Our objective is not displacement, but resolution—one that preserves livelihoods without compromising the orderly functioning of the city,” he said.