Biplab Kumar Deb, who on Saturday resigned from as Chief Minister of Tripura, stepped down from his post a year ahead of the state polls in 2023.
Union minister Bhupender Yadav and senior BJP leader Vinod Tawde will be the central observers for the election of the new chief minister, according to the Indian Express.
Biplab Deb, since his elevation as CM in 2018, often remained at the centre of controversy. He had also held the home portfolio and was accused by the opposition for using police against political rivals.
The Tripura Congress had demanded the resignation of CM Biplab Kumar Deb for the alleged deterioration of law and order in the state. Alleging the failure to provide security to people and government inaction in maintaining law and order, congress leader and former BJP minister Sudip Roy Barman threatened to launch a civil disobedience movement to protest the sharp rise of lawlessness in the state.
From saying that satellites existed during the Mahabharata times to calling Punjabis and Jats "less intelligent", Deb courted controversy several times for his outrageous comments.
In April 2018, while addressing a regional workshop on computerisation and reforms, Deb claimed that the internet and satellite existed during the Mahabharata era. He said that due to the internet and satellite technology Sanjay could see the war sitting beside Dhritarashtra and narrated the battle to him.
He also questioned Diana Hayden winning the Miss World title in 1997 while calling the ‘beauty pageants a farce’. After wide criticism, he clarified that his statement was in the context of promoting the state's handloom industry. Deb also stirred controversy for his comments on engineers. He suggested that mechanical engineers should not join civil services. He said that only civil engineers should join civil services as they know how to build administration and society.
In May 2018, while addressing a gathering in Udaipur, Deb had falsely claimed that Rabindranath Tagore had returned his Nobel Prize protesting against the British.
In April 2019 he drew the ire of the youths of the state as he suggested that unemployed youths open ‘paan shops’ and raise cows to earn a livelihood instead of running after political parties and leaders for government jobs.
In November 2019, he was again at the centre of yet another controversy for his comments on Mughals. At an award function in state capital Agartala, he said that many people don’t know about the wonders of Tripura as the Mughals tried to destroy the culture of the state by bombing the art and architecture.
While addressing an event in July 2020 at Agartala Press Club Deb said that Punjabis and Haryanvis are less intelligent. He claimed that Sardars ‘may be less intelligent’ but very strong and Jats of Haryana can’t be matched over strength but they have ‘limited brains’. After the controversy he later apologised in a tweet.
In September last year he also again drew sharp criticism from the opposition leaders after he claimed that ‘I am a tiger, I control police’. While addressing the biennial conference of Tripura Civil Services Officers’ Association he asked the officers not to worry about the contempt of court.Also read:
