Tripura Chief Minister Prof. Dr Manik Saha on Monday lauded the role of Tripura Police in carrying out various social activities, apart from significantly improving the state's law and order situation.

Dr Saha said this while addressing the inaugural ceremony of the 73rd B.N. Mullik Memorial All India Police Football Championship 2024-25 (Men & Women) at Umakanta Mini Stadium in Agartala on Monday morning.

Dr Saha, who is also the Home Minister of Tripura, stated that this is the first time the 73rd B.N. Mullik Memorial Football Tournament is being organized in Tripura.

"I want to thank Tripura DGP Amitabh Ranjan for organizing this event. When he proposed the idea to me, I assured him of all possible support. Football is an important sport for us. Around 46 teams from various states have participated, with 1,400 participants in total. The tournament will be held across five venues in three districts. This event will help foster stronger relationships among police forces," he said.

Dr Saha noted that while people often fear the police, their primary role is to protect the public and maintain law and order.

"Apart from maintaining law and order, the Tripura Police also undertakes various social initiatives. Tripura Police is one of the oldest police forces in our country, and we are celebrating 150 years of its establishment. We recently observed Tripura Police Week, where I witnessed the dedication of our police personnel. They have also won numerous national and international medals in various sports, which is a great achievement for us," Dr Saha added.

He also congratulated DGP Amitabh Ranjan and his team for maintaining and improving law and order in the state.

"The recently held elections in the state were conducted peacefully. Now, people have faith in the police and believe that democracy has been restored. In the past, Tripura was known for terrorism, but due to the efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, peace has been restored in the Northeast. Around 12 accords have been signed. PM Modi has always emphasized that the development of the Northeast is crucial for the development of the country. Due to PM Modi's HIRA model, the Northeast has witnessed significant progress. Earlier, we lacked proper infrastructure, but now we have express trains, national highways, and improved communication networks. I encourage everyone not only to visit Tripura for sports but also to explore the tourism opportunities here," he added.

During the event, Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Tinku Roy, DGP Amitabh Ranjan, DG (intelligence) Anurag,  ADG (Training) Raja Murugan, ADG GS Rao, West District Magistrate Dr Vishal Kumar, Padma Shri Dipa Karmakar and others were present.