Prime Minister Narendra Modi is learnt to have called Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb to Delhi over his controversial statements. Deb will reportedly meet Modi and BJP president Amit Shah on May 2.
Deb, who became the chief minister of Tripura last month after the BJP came to power in the state, has since made several remarks that triggered controversies.
“Senior party leaders are miffed over the controversies triggered by Deb’s statements. Deb is just saying anything and everything. Modi will talk to him,” IANS quoted a senior party leader as saying on Sunday.
Earlier this month, Deb hit the headlines after he said Internet and satellite communication existed during the Mahabharata era. He invited widespread criticism last week when he questioned the crowning of Diana Hayden as Miss World in 1997.
The Tripura CM also said mechanical engineers should not opt for civil services, but civil engineers should.
In his latest controversial statement, Deb asked the educated youth to set up paan shops instead of running after political parties to get government jobs. He also asked unemployed youth to explore a career in rearing cows.
Interestingly, his made these comments days after the PM, during an interaction with BJP MPs and MLAs through the Narendra Modi mobile app, advised BJP leaders not to give “masala” to the media by uttering loose comments in front of cameras, saying such “mistakes” affected the image of the country and the party.
Meanwhile, though it is confirmed Deb will be in Delhi for four days in the first week of May, his office told IANS the reports that he had been summoned by Modi and Shah were “baseless”.
“The Chief Minister will reach Delhi on May 1 in the night and will attend a programme on Gram Swaraj at Rashtrapati Bhavan. All the CMs have been invited for the event,” IANS quoted a top official as saying, who added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would also attend the event.
Deb is scheduled to meet various Union ministers on May 3 to discuss issues related to development of the state. He will also meet External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, along with other CMs from the northeastern states, during his stay in Delhi.
The CMO official said the CM’s schedule was fixed 20 days ago.