Tight security was mulled in the state ahead of Union Home Minister Amit Shah's visit to Tripura on Tuesday, as the BJP-led state government completes four years in office. The Biplab Deb-led BJP-Indigenous People's Front of Tripura government took oath of office on March 9, 2018, marking the end of 25 years of consecutive Left Front regime. Speaking to reporters after reviewing preparations at the Vivekananda Maidan, where Shah is scheduled to address a gathering on Tuesday, West Tripura Superintendent of Police BJ Reddy said that around 800 paramilitary personnel would be deployed at the ground including Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Tripura State Rifles (TSR). He also said additional forces were deployed at Anandanagar, in the outskirts of Agartala city, where Shah is slated to lay foundation stone for the Tripura campus of National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU). CM Deb, Union MoS for Social Empowerment and Justice Pratima Bhoumik and others would be in attendance at the event as per the Department of Information and Cultural Affairs. According to Shah's schedule, he is expected to arrive at Maharaja Bir Bikram (MBB) airport at 11 am, wherefrom he would fly to Tripurasundari Temple at Udaipur in Gomati district to offer puja to the deity and unveil PRASAD or Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Heritage Augmentation Drive scheme at the shrine. Located 55 km southward from Agartala, Tripurasundari temple is believed to be one of the holiest Hindu shrines in the country. It was built on the top of a hillock resembling the back of a turtle. According to Tripura Rajmala, the royal chronicle of Tripura’s Manikya kings, Maharaja Dhanya Manikya Bahadur constructed the temple in 1501 after getting a ‘Swapnadesh’ or divine order from the Supreme Mother or ‘Aadishakti’ in his dream. The temple sees over 2 lakh devotees and saints every year on Diwali apart from a steady follow of tourists throughout the year. Shortly after coming to power in 2018, the incumbent BJP-IPFT government formed a trust for the temple and audited all assets and liabilities of the shrine. The state is currently undertaking a scheme for developing the shrine site to attract more devotees and boost the state's tourism industry. Party sources said Shah would be meeting party functionaries at Agartala before flying back to Delhi in the afternoon.
