‘Politics over Mata Tripura Sundari’: TIPRA Motha, Oppn leaders decry ‘exclusion’ from temple complex inauguration

The Tripura Sundari Temple in Udaipur is one of the 51 Hindu shaktipeetha shrines spread across the country and attracts a huge number of devotees every year.

Congress slams ‘utter discourtesy’

Training guns at the BJP-led state government for purportedly not inviting Opposition leaders to the event, Congress legislator and former minister Sudip Roy Barman said Monday that the government’s stand was discourteous.

Taking to social media, Barman wrote, “He (Modi) is the Prime Minister of India. The identity of any political party does not apply here. He came to the state to inaugurate the redeveloped structure of the Mata Tripura Sundari Temple. The ruling party and the state government showed utter discourtesy at such an event.”

“No legislator of other political parties or leaders of the Opposition party were invited to the event. The party that can indulge in playing politics over Goddess Mata Tripura Sundari, its true image has been revealed in front of the people. I wholeheartedly condemn this mean attitude of the ruling party and the government,” he added.

Congress MLA Birajit Sinha said no one from his party was invited. “Was it an event for the BJP alone?” he asked.

Leader of Opposition and CPI(M) legislator Jitendra Chaudhury told reporters, “There is no democratic spirit among the BJP. They see everything in a narrow party line.”

‘Sentiments of tribal people hurt,’ says TIPRA Motha

issue was also raised on the last day of the ongoing autumn session of the Tripura Legislative Assembly. Speaking in the House, TIPRA Motha MLA Pathan Lal Jamatia and others tried to raise a discussion during the Zero Hour about why party supremo Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma, who is also the scion of the erstwhile royal dynasty, was not invited to Monday’s inaugural ceremony.

Jamatia said the inauguration of the redeveloped Tripura Sundari Temple complex was a “historic day”. “The erstwhile royal family has historical significance in Tripura, and puja is officially offered in the name of ‘Maharaja’ Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma. Similar puja practices are held at Durga Bari, Chaturdash Devata Bari temples but Debbarma was not invited there either. We want to know how this happened,” the MLA sought to know.

Other TIPRA Motha legislators like Biswajit Kalai expressed similar concerns, saying that no one from the Manikya dynasty was invited to the inaugural event, which hurt the sentiments of tribal people.

MLA Ranjit Debbarma said that while the tribal party is proud that the state’s lone airport was rechristened after Maharaja Bir Bikram, it is “unfortunate” that no member of the erstwhile royal family was invited to Monday’s event. “This would remain a dark chapter in Tripura’s history,” he stated.

Govt says ‘due respect’ given to allies

Replying to the discussion, Tripura Tourism Minister and BJP leader Sushanta Chowdhury said dignitaries were invited for the event once the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) had confirmed the same as per standard protocol.

He also said that the BJP’s East Tripura MP Kriti Devi Debbarma, who is a member of the royal family and the sister of Pradyot Kishore Debbarma, was invited to the event but could not attend as she is currently hospitalised outside the state.

“Nothing was decided at the state level and everything was decided as per the protocol based on the list we had sent to the PMO,” Chowdhury said.

Blaming Opposition political parties for allegedly trying to ruffle up a controversy, the treasury benches said “due respect” was given to all alliance partners.

Forest Minister and Tipra Motha leader Animesh Debbarma said that at a meeting ahead of the inaugural event, he had requested that a member of the royal family should be invited to it. “We had discussed the issue. The event was held at a small scale as per the PMO’s direction. I had also proposed to invite ‘Rajmata’ Bibhu Kumari Devi (Pradyot’s mother) and, eventually, everyone decided to invite Kriti Devi Debbarma to represent the royal family,” he said.

Outside the Assembly, the TIPRA Motha slammed the BJP-led state government for not inviting them. Speaking to reporters, party legislator Ranjit Debbarma said, “The Tripura Sundari Temple is linked to indigenous culture and tradition. But no indigenous leader was seen at the event. None of our party leaders, legislators or even party founder Pradyot Kishore Debbarma was invited to the event.”