Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Dharmendra Pradhan, on Saturday, said that Tripura is country's number one gas producing point and every poor household in the state will have LPG connection in 2019. &nbsp;

He said that ONGC Tripura has recorded its highest ever production at 4.96 MMSCMD (Million Metric Standard Cubic Meter Per Day) on Saturday.

"Not only 5 MMSCMD but we can produce 10 MMCMD from here for the upcoming 15-20 years," said Dharmendra Pradhan.

"We will try that in 2019 itself none of the poor households in Tripura is without an LPG connection," said Pradhan.

"The ONCG will fulfil all the energy requirement of the state with regard to power plants, domestic industries, transportation and domestic fuel," said Pradhan.

He said that ONGC Tripura can be the largest contributor in realising the dream of Prime Minister Narendra Modi`s "New India".

During a programme at the ONGC Tripura Asset headquarter in Badharghat, the Union Minister along with the Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb digitally inaugurated and laid foundation for four projects including ONGC Sonamura Gas Collecting Station, first PNG Connection in West Tripura district, first CNG Station in Gomati and National Skill Training Institute for Women at Agartala.

Pradhan said that Northeast is the energy storehouse in the form of a huge quantity of crude oil or natural gas found in this region.

The Union Minister said that an LPG bottling centre is coming up in the outskirts of capital Agartala and to avoid the uncertain hilly route from Guwahati, the Government of India has got it cleared from the Bangladesh government to bring LPG through the Chittagong port so that there is a steady supply of LPG to Tripura round the year. He said, in addition to this, 40 more LPG distribution centers and 150 fuel filling centers are going to come up in Tripura.

The Union Minister also declared the setting up of National Institute of Skill Trainer in Tripura at the cost of Rs 16 crores for enhancing the income of the women, especially in the SHG and household bamboo handicraft sector through advanced training.

Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb thanked the Union Minister for announcing various new projects for the development of the state through collaborative efforts of both the central and the state governments for better facilities and utilising of the available resources including human resource.

Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Dharmendra Pradhan, on Saturday, said that Tripura is country's number one gas producing point and every poor household in the state will have LPG connection in 2019.

Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Dharmendra Pradhan, on Saturday, said that Tripura is country's number one gas producing point and every poor household in the state will have LPG connection in 2019. He said that ONGC Tripura has recorded its highest ever production at 4.96 MMSCMD (Million Metric Standard Cubic Meter Per Day) on Saturday. "Not only 5 MMSCMD but we can produce 10 MMCMD from here for the upcoming 15-20 years," said Dharmendra Pradhan. "We will try that in 2019 itself none of the poor households in Tripura is without an LPG connection," said Pradhan. "The ONCG will fulfil all the energy requirement of the state with regard to power plants, domestic industries, transportation and domestic fuel," said Pradhan. He said that ONGC Tripura can be the largest contributor in realising the dream of Prime Minister Narendra Modi`s "New India". During a programme at the ONGC Tripura Asset headquarter in Badharghat, the Union Minister along with the Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb digitally inaugurated and laid foundation for four projects including ONGC Sonamura Gas Collecting Station, first PNG Connection in West Tripura district, first CNG Station in Gomati and National Skill Training Institute for Women at Agartala. Pradhan said that Northeast is the energy storehouse in the form of a huge quantity of crude oil or natural gas found in this region. The Union Minister said that an LPG bottling centre is coming up in the outskirts of capital Agartala and to avoid the uncertain hilly route from Guwahati, the Government of India has got it cleared from the Bangladesh government to bring LPG through the Chittagong port so that there is a steady supply of LPG to Tripura round the year. He said, in addition to this, 40 more LPG distribution centers and 150 fuel filling centers are going to come up in Tripura. The Union Minister also declared the setting up of National Institute of Skill Trainer in Tripura at the cost of Rs 16 crores for enhancing the income of the women, especially in the SHG and household bamboo handicraft sector through advanced training. Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb thanked the Union Minister for announcing various new projects for the development of the state through collaborative efforts of both the central and the state governments for better facilities and utilising of the available resources including human resource.

Every poor household in Tripura will have LPG connection in 2019: Dharmendra Pradhan

The BSF Tuesday handed over the 31 Rohingya Muslims, who were stranded on the India-Bangladesh border for four days, to Tripura Police, even as 30 more community members were apprehended in Assam, officials said.

The 31 Rohingyas, who apparently came from Jammu and Kashmir, had been stuck in no man's land, beyond the barbed wire fence along the Indo-Bangladesh border in Tripura since January 18.

The situation had led to a blame game between the Border Security Force (BSF) and its counterpart -- Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) -- with the two sides accusing each other of pushing them into their territories.

The decision to hand over the Rohingyas to the Tripura Police was taken after the BSF and the BGB failed to reach a decision during talks on the issue.

The 31 Rohingyas underwent a medical check-up and were later produced before a court in West Tripura district which sent them to 14-day judicial custody, the officials said.

Deputy Inspector General of the BSF Brijesh Kumar said, "We took the matter up with the BGB and requested them to take the Rohingyas back to Bangladesh. They denied. Several rounds of talks with the BGB had failed. So, we handed them over to police."

A battalion commander-level meeting was held at the Zero Line on Sunday, the officials said.

Officials in New Delhi said the BSF informed the Home Ministry about the final result of the talks and gave it the situation report.

After receiving the ministry's nod, the BSF signed the papers and handed over the 31 Rohingyas to the staff of the Amtoli police station in West Tripura district police at 11 am, ending the standoff with their Bangladeshi counterparts.

The officials added that the state police will verify the details of the Rohingyas, and the BSF has been asked to render assistance for the task.

It is suspected that these people had travelled to the border area from Jammu and Kashmir, the officials said, adding that the truth can only be established after an investigation.

Pranab Sengupta, officer-in-charge of the Amtali police station, told PTI that the 31 Rohingyas, including nine women and 16 children, were sent to the Tripura Medical College for a check-up and "were found to be alright".

He said the BSF had been providing them with food, water and other essentials.

While the BGB claimed they had come from India, the BSF said they had not as there was no tell-tale sign of breach of the barbed wire fence on the Indian side.

Meanwhile, 30 Rohingyas travelling on a Guwahati-bound bus were apprehended during regular checking in Assam's Churaibari area on Monday night, Superintendent of Police of North Tripura district Bhanupada Chakraborty told PTI.

Churaibari connects Tripura and Assam via National Highway-8.

"Karimganj district police told us that the Rohingyas boarded the Guwahati-bound bus from Agartala," he said.

When produced before a court, all the 30 Rohingyas were sent to jail by a Karimganj court.

The police sought the custody of some of them but Chief Judicial Magistrate Abdul Qadir turned down the plea and asked the authorities to produce them again before him Thursday.

In 2017, 12 Rohingyas were apprehended in Tripura and 62 more were detained in different parts of the state the next year.

In October 2017, the Home Ministry had urged all states to take immediate steps to identify and monitor Rohingya refugees.

It had said that the government viewed infiltration of Rohingyas from Rakhine state of Myanmar into the Indian territory as a burden on the country's limited resources and it aggravated security challenges.&nbsp;

The BSF Tuesday handed over the 31 Rohingya Muslims, who were stranded on the India-Bangladesh border for four days, to Tripura Police, even as 30 more community members were apprehended in Assam, officials said.

The BSF Tuesday handed over the 31 Rohingya Muslims, who were stranded on the India-Bangladesh border for four days, to Tripura Police, even as 30 more community members were apprehended in Assam, officials said. The 31 Rohingyas, who apparently came from Jammu and Kashmir, had been stuck in no man's land, beyond the barbed wire fence along the Indo-Bangladesh border in Tripura since January 18. The situation had led to a blame game between the Border Security Force (BSF) and its counterpart -- Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) -- with the two sides accusing each other of pushing them into their territories. The decision to hand over the Rohingyas to the Tripura Police was taken after the BSF and the BGB failed to reach a decision during talks on the issue. The 31 Rohingyas underwent a medical check-up and were later produced before a court in West Tripura district which sent them to 14-day judicial custody, the officials said. Deputy Inspector General of the BSF Brijesh Kumar said, "We took the matter up with the BGB and requested them to take the Rohingyas back to Bangladesh. They denied. Several rounds of talks with the BGB had failed. So, we handed them over to police." A battalion commander-level meeting was held at the Zero Line on Sunday, the officials said. Officials in New Delhi said the BSF informed the Home Ministry about the final result of the talks and gave it the situation report. After receiving the ministry's nod, the BSF signed the papers and handed over the 31 Rohingyas to the staff of the Amtoli police station in West Tripura district police at 11 am, ending the standoff with their Bangladeshi counterparts. The officials added that the state police will verify the details of the Rohingyas, and the BSF has been asked to render assistance for the task. It is suspected that these people had travelled to the border area from Jammu and Kashmir, the officials said, adding that the truth can only be established after an investigation. Pranab Sengupta, officer-in-charge of the Amtali police station, told PTI that the 31 Rohingyas, including nine women and 16 children, were sent to the Tripura Medical College for a check-up and "were found to be alright". He said the BSF had been providing them with food, water and other essentials. While the BGB claimed they had come from India, the BSF said they had not as there was no tell-tale sign of breach of the barbed wire fence on the Indian side. Meanwhile, 30 Rohingyas travelling on a Guwahati-bound bus were apprehended during regular checking in Assam's Churaibari area on Monday night, Superintendent of Police of North Tripura district Bhanupada Chakraborty told PTI. Churaibari connects Tripura and Assam via National Highway-8. "Karimganj district police told us that the Rohingyas boarded the Guwahati-bound bus from Agartala," he said. When produced before a court, all the 30 Rohingyas were sent to jail by a Karimganj court. The police sought the custody of some of them but Chief Judicial Magistrate Abdul Qadir turned down the plea and asked the authorities to produce them again before him Thursday. In 2017, 12 Rohingyas were apprehended in Tripura and 62 more were detained in different parts of the state the next year. In October 2017, the Home Ministry had urged all states to take immediate steps to identify and monitor Rohingya refugees. It had said that the government viewed infiltration of Rohingyas from Rakhine state of Myanmar into the Indian territory as a burden on the country's limited resources and it aggravated security challenges.

31 Rohingyas stranded on Indo-Bangla border sent to 14-day judicial custody 

At least 30 Rohingyas were apprehended by Assam police from a Guwahati-bound bus in Churaibari village near Tripura border.

The group, consisting of male, female and children, were apprehended on Monday while they were moving towards Guwahati on a bus from Agartala.

One of the arrested Rohingya claimed that they had come from Jammu to Agartala via Delhi and Guwahati in search of work but even after staying in a hotel for three days, they did not get any work in Agartala.

Hence, they were returning to Guwahati to find some job there. The arrested Rohingya also informed that a West Bengal-based man named Raju had brought them there.

However, police have found UN cards from some of them but are checking the authenticity of the cards.

Meantime, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/rohingya-muslim-group-fleeing-india-to-bangladesh-stuck-on-zero-line-191773">31 Rohingyas including 16 children</a> and nine female are spending chill winter nights in the open sky for the fourth consecutive day at Rayermura under Amtali police station in the outskirts of Tripura capital Agartala.

They are stranded between the Indian barbed wire border fencing and the border pillars demarcating India and Bangladesh as reportedly border guards of both the nations are alleging each other for pushing them to the other nation's territory.

While the Border Security Force (BSF) has alleged that the Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) tried to push them to Indian Territory on the contrary BGB alleges the opposite.

At least 30 Rohingyas were apprehended by Assam police from a Guwahati-bound bus in Churaibari village near Tripura border. The group, consisting of male, female and children, were apprehended on Monday while they were moving towards Guwahati on a bus from Agartala.

At least 30 Rohingyas were apprehended by Assam police from a Guwahati-bound bus in Churaibari village near Tripura border. The group, consisting of male, female and children, were apprehended on Monday while they were moving towards Guwahati on a bus from Agartala. One of the arrested Rohingya claimed that they had come from Jammu to Agartala via Delhi and Guwahati in search of work but even after staying in a hotel for three days, they did not get any work in Agartala. Hence, they were returning to Guwahati to find some job there. The arrested Rohingya also informed that a West Bengal-based man named Raju had brought them there. However, police have found UN cards from some of them but are checking the authenticity of the cards. Meantime, 31 Rohingyas including 16 children and nine female are spending chill winter nights in the open sky for the fourth consecutive day at Rayermura under Amtali police station in the outskirts of Tripura capital Agartala. They are stranded between the Indian barbed wire border fencing and the border pillars demarcating India and Bangladesh as reportedly border guards of both the nations are alleging each other for pushing them to the other nation's territory. While the Border Security Force (BSF) has alleged that the Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) tried to push them to Indian Territory on the contrary BGB alleges the opposite.

Assam Police apprehend 30 more Rohingyas near Tripura border

The Northeastern states&nbsp;Manipur, Meghalaya and Tripura are celebrating their statehood day today.

The three states were recognised as full-fledged states in 1971 under the North Eastern Region (Reorganisation) Act.

Extending his wishes to the people of the three states, Prime Minister Modi tweeted on Monday, "On the special occasion of their Statehood Day, greetings to the people of Meghalaya. 
People from Meghalaya have made a notable contribution to our country. I pray for the state’s continuous progress".

"Manipur is blessed with immense natural beauty and hardworking citizens. I can never forget the affection I have got in the state.&nbsp; 
On their Statehood Day, I greet my sisters and brothers of Manipur.&nbsp; 
May the state continue scaling new heights of development."

"Statehood Day greetings to the people of Tripura. In less than a year, the state has made remarkable progress. It is realising it’s true potential and people’s aspirations are being fulfilled at a record pace. May this spirit grow further in the coming years".

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Manipur is blessed with immense natural beauty and hardworking citizens. I can never forget the affection I have got in the state. 
 
On their Statehood Day, I greet my sisters and brothers of Manipur. 
 
May the state continue scaling new heights of development.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1087188465480093696?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 21, 2019</a></blockquote>
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President Ram Nath Kovind and the chief ministers of the respective states also greeted the people&nbsp;for their statehood day.

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Greetings to the people of Manipur, Meghalaya and Tripura on statehood day. My best wishes to these states for a bright and prosperous future <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PresidentKovind?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PresidentKovind</a>
— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) <a href="https://twitter.com/rashtrapatibhvn/status/1087163198594113537?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 21, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Greetings to my beloved brothers &amp; sisters on the occasion of Statehood Day of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Tripura?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Tripura</a>. 
 
Let us reaffirm our commitment to work for comprehensive development of our state. 
 
With blessings of Ma Tripureswari, we shall attain our vision of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TransformingTripura?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TransformingTripura</a> into a Model State. <a href="https://t.co/TWjR0R70cG">pic.twitter.com/TWjR0R70cG</a>
— Biplab Kumar Deb (@BjpBiplab) <a href="https://twitter.com/BjpBiplab/status/1087169123321139201?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 21, 2019</a></blockquote>
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On the occasion of the 47th Statehood, let us rededicate ourselves to the values with which our beloved State was formed &amp; reaffirm our commitment to work for the people. On this happy day, I extend my warm greetings and good wishes to the people of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Meghalaya?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Meghalaya</a>.<a href="https://twitter.com/PMOIndia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PMOIndia</a>
— Conrad Sangma (@SangmaConrad) <a href="https://twitter.com/SangmaConrad/status/1087135466074173441?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 20, 2019</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The Northeastern states Manipur, Meghalaya and Tripura are celebrating their statehood day today. The three states were recognised as full-fledged states in 1971 under the North Eastern Region (Reorganisation) Act.

The Northeastern states Manipur, Meghalaya and Tripura are celebrating their statehood day today. The three states were recognised as full-fledged states in 1971 under the North Eastern Region (Reorganisation) Act. Extending his wishes to the people of the three states, Prime Minister Modi tweeted on Monday, "On the special occasion of their Statehood Day, greetings to the people of Meghalaya. People from Meghalaya have made a notable contribution to our country. I pray for the state’s continuous progress". "Manipur is blessed with immense natural beauty and hardworking citizens. I can never forget the affection I have got in the state. On their Statehood Day, I greet my sisters and brothers of Manipur. May the state continue scaling new heights of development." "Statehood Day greetings to the people of Tripura. In less than a year, the state has made remarkable progress. It is realising it’s true potential and people’s aspirations are being fulfilled at a record pace. May this spirit grow further in the coming years". Manipur is blessed with immense natural beauty and hardworking citizens. I can never forget the affection I have got in the state. On their Statehood Day, I greet my sisters and brothers of Manipur. May the state continue scaling new heights of development. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 21, 2019 × President Ram Nath Kovind and the chief ministers of the respective states also greeted the people for their statehood day. Greetings to the people of Manipur, Meghalaya and Tripura on statehood day. My best wishes to these states for a bright and prosperous future #PresidentKovind — President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) January 21, 2019 × Greetings to my beloved brothers & sisters on the occasion of Statehood Day of #Tripura. Let us reaffirm our commitment to work for comprehensive development of our state. With blessings of Ma Tripureswari, we shall attain our vision of #TransformingTripura into a Model State. pic.twitter.com/TWjR0R70cG — Biplab Kumar Deb (@BjpBiplab) January 21, 2019 × On the occasion of the 47th Statehood, let us rededicate ourselves to the values with which our beloved State was formed & reaffirm our commitment to work for the people. On this happy day, I extend my warm greetings and good wishes to the people of #Meghalaya.@PMOIndia — Conrad Sangma (@SangmaConrad) January 20, 2019 ×

Manipur, Meghalaya, Tripura celebrate their Statehood Day

Firing and lathi-charge by security forces to quell protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 in West Tripura district earlier this week triggered 'bandh' in large parts of the northeastern state Saturday.

Agitators in neighbouring Assam and Mizoram too joined the stir against the bill that aims to provide citizenship to illegal migrants of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi or Christian extraction from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

On Tuesday, the day the bill was passed in Lok Sabha, seven people were injured in Madhabbari area of the district when police and the paramilitary forces resorted to lathi-charge and fired in the air to disperse protesters.

Normal life was crippled during the dawn-to-dusk bandh on Saturday in Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC), which comprises two-thirds of Tripura's territory and is home to tribals who constitute a third of the state's population.

The bandh call was given by five indigenous parties - Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT-Tipraha), Indigenous Nationalist Party of Twipra, Twipra State Party, National Conference of Tripura and Tripura People's Party - to protest against the police firing.

Sunil Dev Debbarma, general secretary of Tripura Students Federation, said the seven injured in the lathi charge are admitted to a hospital but said to be stable.

Khumulwng town, the headquarters of the tribal council around 18km from Agartala, remained deserted as shops were closed and markets were closed and vehicles stayed off roads. Schools, colleges and government offices also remained shut, police said.

There was no report of any violence from any part of the council during the bandh, said Subrata Chakraborty, the state additional inspector general (law and order).

"There were road blockades by bandh supporters in at least three districts Kalacherra, S K Para and Neilahabari in Dhalai district, Sachirambari in South Tripura district, Amarpur and Takcherra in Gomati district," Chakraborty said.

The officer said there was no road blockade or demonstration near Khumulwng town and adjacent areas.

When contacted, Radha Charan Debbarma, TTAADC chief executive member and prominent leader of the opposition CPI(M), said the situation in the council area remained peaceful.

"Over 1,800 schools and eight colleges in TTAADC area remained closed and no employee turned up at their offices. Everything, including markets and shops, remained closed and vehicles remained off roads," Debbarma said.

West Tripura Superintendent of Police Ajit Pratap Singh said the situation in Madhabbari and adjacent areas was normal.

The ban on Internet services and prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure have been lifted, Singh said.

Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb has ordered a magisterial inquiry into how and under what circumstances police opened fire on protesters in Madhabbari.

During the bandh, Twipra State Party members wore black badges and took out rallies with black flags in several places, TSP general secretary Sunil Debbarma said.

A motorbike rally with participants carrying black flags was organised in Barkathal in West Tripura district, he said.

In the neighbouring Assam, the North East Students Organisation (NESO) observed a 'black day' to protest the firing incident in Tripura.

The All Assam Students Union, a constituent of NESO, hoisted a black flag at its headquarters in Guwahati and student activists protested across the state.

AASU chief advisor Samujjal Bhattacharya, who had gone to Tripura with a team of NESO members, said they were stopped by police when they were proceeding towards Khumulwung Hospital to visit the injured persons after meeting other injured people at G B Pant Hospital.

He alleged that the Tripura Chief Minister Deb does not understand the pain of the indigenous people.

"We condemn the high-handed attitude of BJP government in Tripura and protest against it by observing today as 'black day', he added.

In Mizoram, the Mizo Zirlai Pawl or Mizo student federation, a constituent of NESO, had called for protests.

Black flags were hoisted at several places in the state capital Aizawl by MZP activists.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Firing and lathi-charge by security forces to quell protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 in West Tripura district earlier this week triggered 'bandh' in large parts of the northeastern state Saturday.

Firing and lathi-charge by security forces to quell protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 in West Tripura district earlier this week triggered 'bandh' in large parts of the northeastern state Saturday. Agitators in neighbouring Assam and Mizoram too joined the stir against the bill that aims to provide citizenship to illegal migrants of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi or Christian extraction from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan. On Tuesday, the day the bill was passed in Lok Sabha, seven people were injured in Madhabbari area of the district when police and the paramilitary forces resorted to lathi-charge and fired in the air to disperse protesters. Normal life was crippled during the dawn-to-dusk bandh on Saturday in Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC), which comprises two-thirds of Tripura's territory and is home to tribals who constitute a third of the state's population. The bandh call was given by five indigenous parties - Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT-Tipraha), Indigenous Nationalist Party of Twipra, Twipra State Party, National Conference of Tripura and Tripura People's Party - to protest against the police firing. Sunil Dev Debbarma, general secretary of Tripura Students Federation, said the seven injured in the lathi charge are admitted to a hospital but said to be stable. Khumulwng town, the headquarters of the tribal council around 18km from Agartala, remained deserted as shops were closed and markets were closed and vehicles stayed off roads. Schools, colleges and government offices also remained shut, police said. There was no report of any violence from any part of the council during the bandh, said Subrata Chakraborty, the state additional inspector general (law and order). "There were road blockades by bandh supporters in at least three districts Kalacherra, S K Para and Neilahabari in Dhalai district, Sachirambari in South Tripura district, Amarpur and Takcherra in Gomati district," Chakraborty said. The officer said there was no road blockade or demonstration near Khumulwng town and adjacent areas. When contacted, Radha Charan Debbarma, TTAADC chief executive member and prominent leader of the opposition CPI(M), said the situation in the council area remained peaceful. "Over 1,800 schools and eight colleges in TTAADC area remained closed and no employee turned up at their offices. Everything, including markets and shops, remained closed and vehicles remained off roads," Debbarma said. West Tripura Superintendent of Police Ajit Pratap Singh said the situation in Madhabbari and adjacent areas was normal. The ban on Internet services and prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure have been lifted, Singh said. Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb has ordered a magisterial inquiry into how and under what circumstances police opened fire on protesters in Madhabbari. During the bandh, Twipra State Party members wore black badges and took out rallies with black flags in several places, TSP general secretary Sunil Debbarma said. A motorbike rally with participants carrying black flags was organised in Barkathal in West Tripura district, he said. In the neighbouring Assam, the North East Students Organisation (NESO) observed a 'black day' to protest the firing incident in Tripura. The All Assam Students Union, a constituent of NESO, hoisted a black flag at its headquarters in Guwahati and student activists protested across the state. AASU chief advisor Samujjal Bhattacharya, who had gone to Tripura with a team of NESO members, said they were stopped by police when they were proceeding towards Khumulwung Hospital to visit the injured persons after meeting other injured people at G B Pant Hospital. He alleged that the Tripura Chief Minister Deb does not understand the pain of the indigenous people. "We condemn the high-handed attitude of BJP government in Tripura and protest against it by observing today as 'black day', he added. In Mizoram, the Mizo Zirlai Pawl or Mizo student federation, a constituent of NESO, had called for protests. Black flags were hoisted at several places in the state capital Aizawl by MZP activists.

Bandh in Northeast states after police fire on people protesting against Citizenship Bill in Tripura

A joint delegation of Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) and the Tripura government will be visiting Bangladesh this month to study the possibility of building a new waterway connecting the two countries, an official said Wednesday.

A three-member technical team, comprising two IWAI members and an engineer from the state water resource department, will carry out spot assessment at Daudkandi area in Comilla district of Bangladesh, Additional Transport Secretary Anindya Kumar Bhattacharya said.

The proposed waterway on rivers Gomati and Meghna will connect Ashuganj river port in eastern Bangladesh with Sonamura in Sipahijala district of Tripura, he told PTI.

"As a first step, dredging will have to be carried out on both sides (India and Bangladesh) to increase navigability of medium-sized vessels, which can carry at least 10 to 25 tonne of goods," Bhattacharya said.

Last month, a technical team of IWAI had visited the Sonamura to conduct a survey and decide on the possible location of a jetty for the project.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/biplab-debs-word-of-wisdom-list-of-absurd-statements-by-tripura-cm-162126">Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb</a> had also met Union Minister Nitin Gadkari at New Delhi in December, seeking expedition of the project.

The waterway, once ready, will ease transportation of goods to Sonamura town of Tripura from Bangladesh, Deb had told reporters. 
&nbsp;

Last month, a technical team of Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) had visited the Sonamura to conduct a survey and decide on the possible location of a jetty for the project.

A joint delegation of Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) and the Tripura government will be visiting Bangladesh this month to study the possibility of building a new waterway connecting the two countries, an official said Wednesday. A three-member technical team, comprising two IWAI members and an engineer from the state water resource department, will carry out spot assessment at Daudkandi area in Comilla district of Bangladesh, Additional Transport Secretary Anindya Kumar Bhattacharya said. The proposed waterway on rivers Gomati and Meghna will connect Ashuganj river port in eastern Bangladesh with Sonamura in Sipahijala district of Tripura, he told PTI. "As a first step, dredging will have to be carried out on both sides (India and Bangladesh) to increase navigability of medium-sized vessels, which can carry at least 10 to 25 tonne of goods," Bhattacharya said. Last month, a technical team of IWAI had visited the Sonamura to conduct a survey and decide on the possible location of a jetty for the project. Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb had also met Union Minister Nitin Gadkari at New Delhi in December, seeking expedition of the project. The waterway, once ready, will ease transportation of goods to Sonamura town of Tripura from Bangladesh, Deb had told reporters.

Three-member team to visit Bangladesh for inland waterway project connecting two countries

A volcanic lava type inflammable liquid has been reportedly profiting out of the ground in Tripura's Jalifa village and has triggered panic among the local residents of the area.

It has gradually become a matter of concern for the Tripura state government, in North East India, which is highly vulnerable to earthquakes as it lies in seismic zone V.

This is the third such incident reported this year the state which is very close to Chittagong in Bangladesh.

Earlier in mid-April, at two spots, namely Baishnavpur and Ghagrabasti of Sunroom, lava-like liquid erupted along with fire and gas.

In the recent incident that happened only a few days back, the local villagers of Jalifa were scared to find lava erupting from the lower portion of the electric pole on the roadside and reported the matter to the fire extinguishing team and local police.

A team of firefighters rushed to the spot and tried to spray water and foam, but failed to stop the ongoing eruption that had already burned the spot.

Meanwhile, scientists from the Department of Science, Technology and Environment of the Government of Tripura also visited the spot.

After examining the spot and analysing the samples collected from the spot they concluded that the fire, smoke and other materials running out of the ground is due to a fault line that passes through that area beside the displacement of the underground tectonic plates in that region and which is creating huge subsurface heat causing the incident.

However, Avisek Chaudhuri, from the Tripura Space Application Centre, who is the leading scientist team viewed that there is very little chance of eruption of lava or an active volcano.&nbsp;

But the Science, Technology and Environment Minister of Tripura Sudip Roy Barman has expressed concern as the state has a history of recorded massive earthquakes earlier.

Barman said that the government is taking the matter.&nbsp;

A volcanic lava type inflammable liquid has been reportedly profiting out of the ground in Tripura's Jalifa village and has triggered panic among the local residents of the area.

A volcanic lava type inflammable liquid has been reportedly profiting out of the ground in Tripura's Jalifa village and has triggered panic among the local residents of the area. It has gradually become a matter of concern for the Tripura state government, in North East India, which is highly vulnerable to earthquakes as it lies in seismic zone V. This is the third such incident reported this year the state which is very close to Chittagong in Bangladesh. Earlier in mid-April, at two spots, namely Baishnavpur and Ghagrabasti of Sunroom, lava-like liquid erupted along with fire and gas. In the recent incident that happened only a few days back, the local villagers of Jalifa were scared to find lava erupting from the lower portion of the electric pole on the roadside and reported the matter to the fire extinguishing team and local police. A team of firefighters rushed to the spot and tried to spray water and foam, but failed to stop the ongoing eruption that had already burned the spot. Meanwhile, scientists from the Department of Science, Technology and Environment of the Government of Tripura also visited the spot. After examining the spot and analysing the samples collected from the spot they concluded that the fire, smoke and other materials running out of the ground is due to a fault line that passes through that area beside the displacement of the underground tectonic plates in that region and which is creating huge subsurface heat causing the incident. However, Avisek Chaudhuri, from the Tripura Space Application Centre, who is the leading scientist team viewed that there is very little chance of eruption of lava or an active volcano. But the Science, Technology and Environment Minister of Tripura Sudip Roy Barman has expressed concern as the state has a history of recorded massive earthquakes earlier. Barman said that the government is taking the matter.

Lava-type eruption causes panic in Tripura village

High alert will be sounded along the international border in Tripura, hours before the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pm-sheikh-hasina-on-top-in-battle-of-the-bangladesh-begums-186170">Bangladesh general election</a>, as the BSF steps up efforts to avert any "untoward situation" in the poll-bound country, a senior official said here Monday.

Tripura shares 856-km-long border with the neighbouring country.

Bangladesh is set to go to polls on December 30. Pitted against the Sheikh Hasina-led ruling Awami League (AL) and its various allies is the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) which had boycotted the last parliamentary elections.

Security has already been beefed up in the border areas in Tripura to check infiltration bids, the senior Border Security Force (BSF) official said.

"Our main objective is to check influx of anti-social elements. We will ensure that law and order is maintained along the border to avoid any unpleasant situation in poll-bound Bangladesh," said AK Yadav, the officiating Inspector General (IG) of BSF, Tripura Frontier.

Talking to reporters, Yadav claimed that militancy has been largely contained in Tripura owing to persistent efforts by security forces over the past few years.

"Law enforcement agencies of Bangladesh have also adopted a zero tolerance attitude to anti-Indian activities on their soil and our joint efforts have paid off well," he said.

The IG, however, cautioned against militant activity in the border areas, given the fact that Bangladesh law enforcement agencies have demolished their hideouts in the past few months.

"The militants often befriend local people or try and make inroads into the country with the help of their relatives residing here," he said.

Altogether, 13 militants have surrendered before the BSF during 2018, while 17 insurgents laid down their arms last year, Yadav added.

High alert will be sounded along the international border in Tripura, hours before the Bangladesh general election, as the BSF steps up efforts to avert any "untoward situation" in the poll-bound country, a senior official said here Monday.

High alert will be sounded along the international border in Tripura, hours before the Bangladesh general election, as the BSF steps up efforts to avert any "untoward situation" in the poll-bound country, a senior official said here Monday. Tripura shares 856-km-long border with the neighbouring country. Bangladesh is set to go to polls on December 30. Pitted against the Sheikh Hasina-led ruling Awami League (AL) and its various allies is the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) which had boycotted the last parliamentary elections. Security has already been beefed up in the border areas in Tripura to check infiltration bids, the senior Border Security Force (BSF) official said. "Our main objective is to check influx of anti-social elements. We will ensure that law and order is maintained along the border to avoid any unpleasant situation in poll-bound Bangladesh," said AK Yadav, the officiating Inspector General (IG) of BSF, Tripura Frontier. Talking to reporters, Yadav claimed that militancy has been largely contained in Tripura owing to persistent efforts by security forces over the past few years. "Law enforcement agencies of Bangladesh have also adopted a zero tolerance attitude to anti-Indian activities on their soil and our joint efforts have paid off well," he said. The IG, however, cautioned against militant activity in the border areas, given the fact that Bangladesh law enforcement agencies have demolished their hideouts in the past few months. "The militants often befriend local people or try and make inroads into the country with the help of their relatives residing here," he said. Altogether, 13 militants have surrendered before the BSF during 2018, while 17 insurgents laid down their arms last year, Yadav added.

BSF to issue high alert along Tripura border ahead of Bangladesh polls

At least 30 passengers suffered injuries after a bus carrying them fell into a gorge on Gandachara Amarpur road in Dhalai district on Tuesday.

Local and the police rescued all the passengers of Agartala-bound bus and admitted them to a hospital.

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Tripura: Over 30 passengers injured after the bus carrying them fell into a gorge on Gandachara Amarpur road in Dhalai district on December 4, were rescued and admitted to hospital. 22 passengers are in a critical condition. More details awaited. <a href="https://t.co/BcUKtN8vqg">pic.twitter.com/BcUKtN8vqg</a>
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Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb, along with senior officials, visited the trauma centre of the hospital and enquired about their health.&nbsp;

The CM also promised to bear all the medical expenses of the injured.

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"I pray that these people get fit at the earliest. We will investigate the cause of this accident. All the medical expenditure will be borne by the state," Deb reportedly told the media.

As per doctors, 22 out of the 30 passengers are critically injured.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

At least 30 passengers suffered injuries after a bus carrying them fell into a gorge on Gandachara Amarpur road in Dhalai district on Tuesday. Local and the police rescued all the passengers of Agartala-bound bus and admitted them to a hospital.

At least 30 passengers suffered injuries after a bus carrying them fell into a gorge on Gandachara Amarpur road in Dhalai district on Tuesday. Local and the police rescued all the passengers of Agartala-bound bus and admitted them to a hospital. Tripura: Over 30 passengers injured after the bus carrying them fell into a gorge on Gandachara Amarpur road in Dhalai district on December 4, were rescued and admitted to hospital. 22 passengers are in a critical condition. More details awaited. pic.twitter.com/BcUKtN8vqg — ANI (@ANI) December 4, 2018 × Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb, along with senior officials, visited the trauma centre of the hospital and enquired about their health. The CM also promised to bear all the medical expenses of the injured. Agartala: Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb meets the injured passengers at trauma centre of GB hospital; over 30 passengers were injured after the bus carrying them fell into a gorge on Gandachara Amarpur road in Dhalai district yesterday pic.twitter.com/3LFtxJaYJB — ANI (@ANI) December 4, 2018 × "I pray that these people get fit at the earliest. We will investigate the cause of this accident. All the medical expenditure will be borne by the state," Deb reportedly told the media. As per doctors, 22 out of the 30 passengers are critically injured.

30 injured as bus falls into gorge in Tripura 

The Supreme Court has issued a notice to the Centre and others on a plea seeking an Assam-style NRC in Tripura.&nbsp;

Assam released the second and final draft of its NRC on July 30. The Supreme Court-mandated National Register of Citizens, which aims to decide who is a citizen of Assam, and therefore of India, has left 40 lakh people off its roles.&nbsp;

It is unclear what will finally happen to these 40 lakh people. Commentators have said they might end up like the Rohingya — a stateless people.&nbsp;

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had said on July 30 that none of the 40 lakh people are going to be deported. He added that they would also have full recourse to the law. That is, the 40 lakh people are going to be allowed to appeal their exclusion from the NRC.&nbsp;

BJP president Amit Shah however has on more than once occassion said all Bangladeshi "infiltrators" will be tracked down and deported. He has also compared Bangladesh immigrants in India to "termites" saying they are a drain on the state's resources.&nbsp;

Bangladesh has said the comments were "unwanted".&nbsp;

On Sunday, news reports quoted Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Deb as saying the state would go in for an NRC-like exercise if it turned out to be successful in Assam.&nbsp;

The Supreme Court has issued a notice to the Centre and others on a plea seeking an Assam-style NRC in Tripura. Assam released the second and final draft of its NRC on July 30.

The Supreme Court has issued a notice to the Centre and others on a plea seeking an Assam-style NRC in Tripura. Assam released the second and final draft of its NRC on July 30. The Supreme Court-mandated National Register of Citizens, which aims to decide who is a citizen of Assam, and therefore of India, has left 40 lakh people off its roles. It is unclear what will finally happen to these 40 lakh people. Commentators have said they might end up like the Rohingya — a stateless people. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had said on July 30 that none of the 40 lakh people are going to be deported. He added that they would also have full recourse to the law. That is, the 40 lakh people are going to be allowed to appeal their exclusion from the NRC. BJP president Amit Shah however has on more than once occassion said all Bangladeshi "infiltrators" will be tracked down and deported. He has also compared Bangladesh immigrants in India to "termites" saying they are a drain on the state's resources. Bangladesh has said the comments were "unwanted". On Sunday, news reports quoted Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Deb as saying the state would go in for an NRC-like exercise if it turned out to be successful in Assam.

Plea for NRC in Tripura: Supreme Court issues notice to Centre, others

The Centre made it clear on Friday that it has no plans to implement the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Tripura, after a similar exercise was carried out in Assam to identify illegal immigrants.

In a statement, the Home Ministry said a delegation of the Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT), led by its president Bijoy Kumar Hrangkhawl, met Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday but no assurance had been given to the team regarding implementation of NRC in the state.

"The home minister met a delegation of INPT led by its president Bijoy Kumar Hrangkhawl on October 4. However, no assurance of any kind was given by the home minister regarding the implementation of NRC in Tripura.&nbsp; 
It is categorically asserted that no decision has been taken on the issue of NRC in Tripura," the statement said.

The ministry also said news reports, appearing after the meeting, about likely implementation of NRC in Tripura "are absolutely incorrect and mischievous".&nbsp;

The Centre made it clear on Friday that it has no plans to implement the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Tripura, after a similar exercise was carried out in Assam to identify illegal immigrants.

The Centre made it clear on Friday that it has no plans to implement the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Tripura, after a similar exercise was carried out in Assam to identify illegal immigrants. In a statement, the Home Ministry said a delegation of the Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT), led by its president Bijoy Kumar Hrangkhawl, met Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday but no assurance had been given to the team regarding implementation of NRC in the state. "The home minister met a delegation of INPT led by its president Bijoy Kumar Hrangkhawl on October 4. However, no assurance of any kind was given by the home minister regarding the implementation of NRC in Tripura. It is categorically asserted that no decision has been taken on the issue of NRC in Tripura," the statement said. The ministry also said news reports, appearing after the meeting, about likely implementation of NRC in Tripura "are absolutely incorrect and mischievous".

No plans to implement NRC in Tripura: Govt

Over 3,500 families have been rendered homeless in Tripura as heavy rains hit the state during the past 24 hours, officials said today.

Although the rain stopped this morning, over 500 families have been evacuated to six relief camps during the period in West Tripura's Sadar sub-division as their homes were submerged by water.

The water level in the river Howrah, which passes through the capital town, was flowing slightly below the danger level at&nbsp;12 pm, Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Sadar Tapan Kumar Das said.

"The situation may turn worse if the state receives fresh shower as predicted by the meteorological department. We are ready to meet any eventuality as all officials concerned are alerted," he said.

The Assam-Agartala National Highway, considered lifeline of the state, was thrown open for vehicular movement after clearing debris late last night. The road remained cut off for several hours due to landslips at Atharamura hill yesterday.

According to the latest report of the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC), over 3,500 families are lodged in 89 relief camps as heavy downpour inundated their dwelling houses in some sub-divisions.

Kumarghat and Panisagar in Unakoti district, Sabroom in South Tripura district, Amarpur in Gomati district and Telimaura in Khowai district are hard hit by the rain, a SEOC official said.

NDRF and TSR personnel are working in coordination with the respective district administrations to render help to the affected families, he said adding there was no report of human casualty but, damage to crops was extensive, official sources said.

Although the rain stopped this morning, over 500 families have been evacuated to six relief camps

Over 3,500 families have been rendered homeless in Tripura as heavy rains hit the state during the past 24 hours, officials said today. Although the rain stopped this morning, over 500 families have been evacuated to six relief camps during the period in West Tripura's Sadar sub-division as their homes were submerged by water. The water level in the river Howrah, which passes through the capital town, was flowing slightly below the danger level at 12 pm, Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Sadar Tapan Kumar Das said. "The situation may turn worse if the state receives fresh shower as predicted by the meteorological department. We are ready to meet any eventuality as all officials concerned are alerted," he said. The Assam-Agartala National Highway, considered lifeline of the state, was thrown open for vehicular movement after clearing debris late last night. The road remained cut off for several hours due to landslips at Atharamura hill yesterday. According to the latest report of the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC), over 3,500 families are lodged in 89 relief camps as heavy downpour inundated their dwelling houses in some sub-divisions. Kumarghat and Panisagar in Unakoti district, Sabroom in South Tripura district, Amarpur in Gomati district and Telimaura in Khowai district are hard hit by the rain, a SEOC official said. NDRF and TSR personnel are working in coordination with the respective district administrations to render help to the affected families, he said adding there was no report of human casualty but, damage to crops was extensive, official sources said.

Agartala: Heavy rain renders over 3,500 families homeless

Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb on Saturday said if the youths of Tripura take the fitness challenge campaign of the union sports minister, they would become healthy and the health of the state would improve too.&nbsp

"All the youths should stay fit. If all youths do push-ups they will become healthy and Tripura will become healthy too ... Automatically Tripura will develop 56-inch chest and follow the direction of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' for development," Mr Deb said, apparently alluding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

PM Modi had reportedly claimed that he had 56-inch chest during his campaigns before the 2014 general election to lash out at the incompetence of his opponents.

Mr Deb said he had himself accepted Union Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore's fitness challenge and tweeted that he does 20 push-ups.

"I could do 20 more. Youths will feel good and fresh if they give 20, 30, 40 push-ups every morning," he said.

Mr Deb said he has requested the union sports minister to provide more funds to develop sports infrastructure in Tripura.

Mr Rathore, he said, agreed to develop a sports complex and sought 17 acres which would include all necessary facilities for sports.

"Development doesn't mean only industries. It also means developing sports. One has to be an all-rounder (to perform well)," the chief minister said at a programme where ace gymnast Dipa Karmakar, tennis star Somdev Dev Varman, national women's football team goalkeeper Laxmita Reang and Dronacharya awardee and gymnast Bisweswar Nandi were felicitated.

Mr Deb said his government would work to further develop sports infrastructure in Tripura and called for Khelo Tripura, Sustho Thako Tripura (Play Tripura, Stay Healthy Tripura).

He said sports stars should be involved in annual sports events of schools and other programmes to encourage promising talents across the state.

Sports and Youth Affairs minister Manoj Kanti Deb said stress would be laid on Kabaddi, Judo, basketball, and football and other sports and expressed hopes of holding the National Games in the state in the future.

PM Modi had reportedly claimed that he had 56 inch chest during his campaigns before the 2014 general election to lash out at the incompetence of his opponents.

Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb on Saturday said if the youths of Tripura take the fitness challenge campaign of the union sports minister, they would become healthy and the health of the state would improve too. "All the youths should stay fit. If all youths do push-ups they will become healthy and Tripura will become healthy too ... Automatically Tripura will develop 56-inch chest and follow the direction of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' for development," Mr Deb said, apparently alluding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. PM Modi had reportedly claimed that he had 56-inch chest during his campaigns before the 2014 general election to lash out at the incompetence of his opponents. Mr Deb said he had himself accepted Union Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore's fitness challenge and tweeted that he does 20 push-ups. "I could do 20 more. Youths will feel good and fresh if they give 20, 30, 40 push-ups every morning," he said. Mr Deb said he has requested the union sports minister to provide more funds to develop sports infrastructure in Tripura. Mr Rathore, he said, agreed to develop a sports complex and sought 17 acres which would include all necessary facilities for sports. "Development doesn't mean only industries. It also means developing sports. One has to be an all-rounder (to perform well)," the chief minister said at a programme where ace gymnast Dipa Karmakar, tennis star Somdev Dev Varman, national women's football team goalkeeper Laxmita Reang and Dronacharya awardee and gymnast Bisweswar Nandi were felicitated. Mr Deb said his government would work to further develop sports infrastructure in Tripura and called for Khelo Tripura, Sustho Thako Tripura (Play Tripura, Stay Healthy Tripura). He said sports stars should be involved in annual sports events of schools and other programmes to encourage promising talents across the state. Sports and Youth Affairs minister Manoj Kanti Deb said stress would be laid on Kabaddi, Judo, basketball, and football and other sports and expressed hopes of holding the National Games in the state in the future.

Tripura will develop 56 inch chest if its youth take fitness challenge: Biplab Deb

UP deputy chief minister Dinesh Sharma made a controversial comment on Friday by claiming that Sita was a test tube baby.

He said that Sita was born from a concept similar to test tube as she was born from an earthen pot&nbsp;

He said, "People say Sita ji was born from an earthen pot, which means at the time of Ramayana, a concept similar to test tube baby must have existed".

Referring to the Mahabharata he further went on to say that the live streaming technology must have existed during the Mahabharata.

He said,"Today, the live telecast is being done, but I think a similar technology was present at the time of Mahabharata when Sanjay presented a 'live telecast' of the battle of Mahabharata to Dhritarashtra".

The latest comments by the BJP leader has added to the list of the BJP ranks who have created controversy by their statements.

Earlier Tripura chief minister Biplab Deb had said that the internet and satellite were not new to the country and existed even during the Maharabharat era.

He had also advocated the people should not run after government jobs instead they should milk cows.

After a series of bizarre remarks, the Chief Minister was called to New Delhi by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

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Today, live telecast is being done, but I think a similar technology was present at the time of Mahabharata, when Sanjay presented a 'live telecast' of the battle of Mahabharata to Dhritarashtra: Dinesh Sharma, UP Deputy CM <a href="https://t.co/0AQ3ptHnIW">pic.twitter.com/0AQ3ptHnIW</a>
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&nbsp;

He said, 'People say Sita ji was born from an earthen pot, which means at the time of Ramayana, a concept similar to test tube baby must have existed'

UP deputy chief minister Dinesh Sharma made a controversial comment on Friday by claiming that Sita was a test tube baby. He said that Sita was born from a concept similar to test tube as she was born from an earthen pot He said, "People say Sita ji was born from an earthen pot, which means at the time of Ramayana, a concept similar to test tube baby must have existed". Referring to the Mahabharata he further went on to say that the live streaming technology must have existed during the Mahabharata. He said,"Today, the live telecast is being done, but I think a similar technology was present at the time of Mahabharata when Sanjay presented a 'live telecast' of the battle of Mahabharata to Dhritarashtra". The latest comments by the BJP leader has added to the list of the BJP ranks who have created controversy by their statements. Earlier Tripura chief minister Biplab Deb had said that the internet and satellite were not new to the country and existed even during the Maharabharat era. He had also advocated the people should not run after government jobs instead they should milk cows. After a series of bizarre remarks, the Chief Minister was called to New Delhi by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Today, live telecast is being done, but I think a similar technology was present at the time of Mahabharata, when Sanjay presented a 'live telecast' of the battle of Mahabharata to Dhritarashtra: Dinesh Sharma, UP Deputy CM pic.twitter.com/0AQ3ptHnIW — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) June 1, 2018 ×

Sita was a 'test tube baby', says UP deputy CM Dinesh Sharma

Floods in Tripura have been mounting following the heavy rains leading to many villagers seeking shelter at relief camps.

More than 600 families have evacuated villages to set up camps in relief shelters on Sunday after floods affected areas around Agartala. Two villagers also lost their lives and two others were&nbsp;severly injured during landslides.&nbsp;

"The affected people along the river banks have been shifted to 16 flood relief camps in which 670 families are living. This may increase as rescue operations are underway by National Disaster Relief Force, Tripura State Rifles, and Civil Defense. The administration has arranged for ample food supply and drinking water," he added.

According to reports, more than five thousand people, along with their belongings and domestic animals have taken refuge in temporary camps in various schools and government establishments in and around the capital Agartala.

Tripura Minister Ratan Lal Nath along with the authorities of the administration visited some flood-affected areas to meet the victims. "Due to a sudden downpour in the hilly areas, the Balda Khal, Chandrapur and adjoining areas are flooded as the water level in rivers have increased, due to which, the water is unable to pass to Bangladesh," he said

"In the meantime, several families had to be evacuated and the administration had already reached before I came here. Officials have looked into people's problems and local people have also rendered help. Arrangements for boats have been made though we were not ready for this situation which is a natural hazard and the administration stood by the people," he added.

Heavy downpour was reported in the states hilly areas over the past 24 hours triggering flood in the downstream areas, including the capital town and its adjacent areas.

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Chandrapur: Many people have become homeless due to flash flood at the adjoining areas of Howrah river which is flowing 0.3 meter above danger level following incessant rain during the last 48 hours. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Tripura?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Tripura</a> <a href="https://t.co/SRtJ6rYH0N">pic.twitter.com/SRtJ6rYH0N</a>
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More than five thousand people, along with their belongings and domestic animals have taken refuge in temporary camps in various schools and government establishments in and around the capital Agartala

Floods in Tripura have been mounting following the heavy rains leading to many villagers seeking shelter at relief camps. More than 600 families have evacuated villages to set up camps in relief shelters on Sunday after floods affected areas around Agartala. Two villagers also lost their lives and two others were severly injured during landslides. "The affected people along the river banks have been shifted to 16 flood relief camps in which 670 families are living. This may increase as rescue operations are underway by National Disaster Relief Force, Tripura State Rifles, and Civil Defense. The administration has arranged for ample food supply and drinking water," he added. According to reports, more than five thousand people, along with their belongings and domestic animals have taken refuge in temporary camps in various schools and government establishments in and around the capital Agartala. Tripura Minister Ratan Lal Nath along with the authorities of the administration visited some flood-affected areas to meet the victims. "Due to a sudden downpour in the hilly areas, the Balda Khal, Chandrapur and adjoining areas are flooded as the water level in rivers have increased, due to which, the water is unable to pass to Bangladesh," he said "In the meantime, several families had to be evacuated and the administration had already reached before I came here. Officials have looked into people's problems and local people have also rendered help. Arrangements for boats have been made though we were not ready for this situation which is a natural hazard and the administration stood by the people," he added. Heavy downpour was reported in the states hilly areas over the past 24 hours triggering flood in the downstream areas, including the capital town and its adjacent areas. Chandrapur: Many people have become homeless due to flash flood at the adjoining areas of Howrah river which is flowing 0.3 meter above danger level following incessant rain during the last 48 hours. #Tripura pic.twitter.com/SRtJ6rYH0N — ANI (@ANI) May 20, 2018 ×

Thousands take refuge in relief camps following Tripura floods, landslides

Instigating frequent controversies with his comments, Tripura chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb, in one of his recent comments has advocated that every house should have a cow.

Biplab Deb said, "at a time when&nbsp;milk is available at Rs 50 per litre, everyone should keep a cow at his/her home".

He added that any graduate who has been roaming around without a job for 10 years,&nbsp;could have earned over Rs 10 lakhs if he would have raised a cow for 10 years.

He said, "Har ghar mein gai honi chahiye. Yahan dudh Rs 50 litre hai, toh ek gai paal le, koi graduate hai, naukri ke liye ghoomta rehta hai 10 saal se, agar 10 saal gai paal leta toh apne aap Rs 10 lakh ka bank balance tayar ho jata".

A day before, the chief minister had said that "<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/civil-engineers-better-for-civil-services-than-mechanical-engineers-tripura-cms-very-latest-133526">civil engineers are better suited for the civil services </a>than mechanical engineers".

Deb recently said Diana Hayden, who was crowned Miss Universe in 1997,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/aishwarya-rai-represents-indian-women-not-diana-hayden-tripura-cm-biplab-deb-133113">did not represent Indian women</a>.&nbsp;

Before that, he had said&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/internet-and-satellite-existed-since-mahabharata-era-claims-tripura-cm-131112">internet and satellite communication had existed</a>&nbsp;in the days of the Mahabharata.&nbsp;

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Har ghar mein gai honi chahiye. Yahan dudh Rs 50 litre hai, toh ek gai paal le, koi graduate hai, naukri ke liye ghoomta rehta hai 10 saal se, agar 10 saal gai paal leta toh apne aap Rs 10 lakh ka bank balance tayar ho jata: Tripura CM Biplab Kumar Deb (28.04.18) <a href="https://t.co/x5Gu6elttv">pic.twitter.com/x5Gu6elttv</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/990513856320606208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 29, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Biplab Deb said, 'at a time when milk is available at Rs 50 per litre, everyone should keep a cow at his/her home'

Instigating frequent controversies with his comments, Tripura chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb, in one of his recent comments has advocated that every house should have a cow. Biplab Deb said, "at a time when milk is available at Rs 50 per litre, everyone should keep a cow at his/her home". He added that any graduate who has been roaming around without a job for 10 years, could have earned over Rs 10 lakhs if he would have raised a cow for 10 years. He said, "Har ghar mein gai honi chahiye. Yahan dudh Rs 50 litre hai, toh ek gai paal le, koi graduate hai, naukri ke liye ghoomta rehta hai 10 saal se, agar 10 saal gai paal leta toh apne aap Rs 10 lakh ka bank balance tayar ho jata". A day before, the chief minister had said that "civil engineers are better suited for the civil services than mechanical engineers". Deb recently said Diana Hayden, who was crowned Miss Universe in 1997, did not represent Indian women. Before that, he had said internet and satellite communication had existed in the days of the Mahabharata. Har ghar mein gai honi chahiye. Yahan dudh Rs 50 litre hai, toh ek gai paal le, koi graduate hai, naukri ke liye ghoomta rehta hai 10 saal se, agar 10 saal gai paal leta toh apne aap Rs 10 lakh ka bank balance tayar ho jata: Tripura CM Biplab Kumar Deb (28.04.18) pic.twitter.com/x5Gu6elttv — ANI (@ANI) April 29, 2018 ×

Don't run after govt jobs, milk cow instead: Tripura CM

Responding to the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/aishwarya-rai-represents-indian-women-not-diana-hayden-tripura-cm-biplab-deb-133113">comments made by Tripura chief minister Biplab Deb</a>, former Miss World Diana Haydon has said that she was proud of the colour of her skin.

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While speaking to a media, Hayden said that "she was hurt with the remarks and was proud of the colour of her skin".

While addressing a&nbsp;design workshop on handlooms in Agartala on Thursday, the newly-appointed chief minister claimed that former Miss World Diana Haydon lacks Goddess like quality and is not an Indian beauty.&nbsp;

He said Indian beauty should have the characteristics of Lakshmi and Saraswati, Goddesses of wealth and education. According to Deb, Hayden lacked those 'traits'.&nbsp; 
 
“Koi&nbsp;bhi&nbsp;aata&nbsp;hain&nbsp;to mil&nbsp;jata&nbsp;hain. Diana Hayden ko&nbsp;bhi&nbsp;mil&nbsp;jata&nbsp;hain&nbsp;(Anyone who enters beauty contests, gets a crown. Even Diana Hayden got it),” he said.&nbsp; 
 
Deb, however, praised&nbsp;Aishwarya Rai, who according to him 'represented Indian women'.&nbsp; 
 
Aishwarya was crowned Miss World in 1994 and Diana won the title in 1999.&nbsp;

The Tripura chief minister said Indian beauty should have the characteristics of Lakshmi and Saraswati, Goddesses of wealth and education. According to him, Haydon lacked those 'traits'

Responding to the comments made by Tripura chief minister Biplab Deb, former Miss World Diana Haydon has said that she was proud of the colour of her skin. × While speaking to a media, Hayden said that "she was hurt with the remarks and was proud of the colour of her skin". While addressing a design workshop on handlooms in Agartala on Thursday, the newly-appointed chief minister claimed that former Miss World Diana Haydon lacks Goddess like quality and is not an Indian beauty. He said Indian beauty should have the characteristics of Lakshmi and Saraswati, Goddesses of wealth and education. According to Deb, Hayden lacked those 'traits'. “Koi bhi aata hain to mil jata hain. Diana Hayden ko bhi mil jata hain (Anyone who enters beauty contests, gets a crown. Even Diana Hayden got it),” he said. Deb, however, praised Aishwarya Rai, who according to him 'represented Indian women'. Aishwarya was crowned Miss World in 1994 and Diana won the title in 1999.

Proud of colour of my skin: Diana Hayden on Tripura CM's remarks

The recent assembly elections in the North East have seen a huge change in the political landscape of the region. The election results marked the entry of the right-wing power in the state, replacing the long-established hold of Left.

But what exactly do we mean by &#39;Left&#39; and &#39;Right&#39; while discussing politics? The terms originated in France during the French Revolution in 1789 when the members of the National Assembly were divided into two groups.

One supported the king while the other opposed the order of the day. The supporters of the contemporary political system used to sit on the right side of the President while the opposition sat to his left and sought revolution by disrupting the existing system.

The seating arrangement of the two groups was not accepted by the loyalists of the kings, whereas the left appreciated the different seating seeing it as a move of change.

With the beginning of the twentieth century, the terms were widely associated with different political ideology. Republicans who practiced liberal political ideas came to be known as the &ldquo;left&rdquo; group; the &ldquo;right-wing&rdquo; politics was associated with the Conservatives.

&nbsp;By 1914, the terms were widely used to describe political positions and parties.&nbsp;

In his book, The Web of Government (1947), Scottish sociologist Robert M Maclver has mentioned Right ideological politics as always associated with the interests of the upper or dominant classes, while the Left sector caters to the lower economic and social classes.

The &#39;left&#39; is generally called the &#39;party of the movement&#39; while the &#39;right&#39; often stands as the &#39;party of the order&#39;.

&nbsp;The major front of the Left politics in India is occupied by the Communist Party of India (CPI). The party was founded on December 26, 1925, at the first Party Conference in Kanpur.

However, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPIM), which is now separated from the party (CPI), believes its foundation year as 1920 in Tashkent, Turkestan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic.

&nbsp;In the recent years, the CPI has witnessed a massive defeat. It secured a single seat out of 545 seats in the 2014 Lok Sabha election. Following this, the Election Commission had issued a letter asking the party &ldquo;why its status as the national party should not be revoked&rdquo;.

&nbsp;The party which was the major opposition in 1952, after the very first general elections in Independent India, has now reduced to a single state presence in Kerala.

It ceded its control over West Bengal in 2011 after ruling the state for nearly 30 years including its current loss in the Left bastion of North East.

In 2008, it drew support from the United Progressive Alliance after UPAs decision to join US-Indian peaceful Atomic Energy Cooperation Act. It also opposed the setting up of private industries in Kolkata

The Bhartiya Janata Party, founded in the 1980s, gained prominence in the country with its support to the building of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.&nbsp; The ideological inclination of the party clearly demarcates it as a &#39;right-wing&#39; political party. Until the advent of the BJP, the parties ruling the county had either &#39;Centrist&#39;, &#39;Left to Centre&#39; or a complete &#39;Leftist&#39; stance.

Over the years, BJP has shown an aggressive stand on religion, nationalism, support for traditional society and culture. It has never tried to gather minority votes by following appeasement policy of religious minorities. The BJP has always demanded equality for all, including the majority community.

In the recent assembly elections in the North East, the BJP swept to power evicting the Left front in Tripura which ruled the state for 25 years. Tripura was one of the few Left-led havens in India. However, the massive mandate with which the right-wing tore apart the strong presence of the Left government questions the future of Left politics in India.

Will the Left make a strong comeback or soon become history in Indian politics is a question only they can answer.&nbsp;

In the recent assembly elections in the North East, the BJP swept to power evicting the Left front in Tripura which ruled the state for 25 years. The massive mandate with which the right-wing tore apart the strong presence of the Left government questions the future of Left politics in India

The recent assembly elections in the North East have seen a huge change in the political landscape of the region. The election results marked the entry of the right-wing power in the state, replacing the long-established hold of Left. But what exactly do we mean by 'Left' and 'Right' while discussing politics? The terms originated in France during the French Revolution in 1789 when the members of the National Assembly were divided into two groups. One supported the king while the other opposed the order of the day. The supporters of the contemporary political system used to sit on the right side of the President while the opposition sat to his left and sought revolution by disrupting the existing system. The seating arrangement of the two groups was not accepted by the loyalists of the kings, whereas the left appreciated the different seating seeing it as a move of change. With the beginning of the twentieth century, the terms were widely associated with different political ideology. Republicans who practiced liberal political ideas came to be known as the “left” group; the “right-wing” politics was associated with the Conservatives. By 1914, the terms were widely used to describe political positions and parties. In his book, The Web of Government (1947), Scottish sociologist Robert M Maclver has mentioned Right ideological politics as always associated with the interests of the upper or dominant classes, while the Left sector caters to the lower economic and social classes. The 'left' is generally called the 'party of the movement' while the 'right' often stands as the 'party of the order'. The major front of the Left politics in India is occupied by the Communist Party of India (CPI). The party was founded on December 26, 1925, at the first Party Conference in Kanpur. However, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPIM), which is now separated from the party (CPI), believes its foundation year as 1920 in Tashkent, Turkestan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. In the recent years, the CPI has witnessed a massive defeat. It secured a single seat out of 545 seats in the 2014 Lok Sabha election. Following this, the Election Commission had issued a letter asking the party “why its status as the national party should not be revoked”. The party which was the major opposition in 1952, after the very first general elections in Independent India, has now reduced to a single state presence in Kerala. It ceded its control over West Bengal in 2011 after ruling the state for nearly 30 years including its current loss in the Left bastion of North East. In 2008, it drew support from the United Progressive Alliance after UPAs decision to join US-Indian peaceful Atomic Energy Cooperation Act. It also opposed the setting up of private industries in Kolkata The Bhartiya Janata Party, founded in the 1980s, gained prominence in the country with its support to the building of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. The ideological inclination of the party clearly demarcates it as a 'right-wing' political party. Until the advent of the BJP, the parties ruling the county had either 'Centrist', 'Left to Centre' or a complete 'Leftist' stance. Over the years, BJP has shown an aggressive stand on religion, nationalism, support for traditional society and culture. It has never tried to gather minority votes by following appeasement policy of religious minorities. The BJP has always demanded equality for all, including the majority community. In the recent assembly elections in the North East, the BJP swept to power evicting the Left front in Tripura which ruled the state for 25 years. Tripura was one of the few Left-led havens in India. However, the massive mandate with which the right-wing tore apart the strong presence of the Left government questions the future of Left politics in India. Will the Left make a strong comeback or soon become history in Indian politics is a question only they can answer.

The 'Left' and 'Right' of politics: What's left in 'Left' after North-East drubbing

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state president Biplab Kumar Deb took charge as Tripura Chief Minister on Saturday.

Biplab Deb yesterday took oath as the Chief Minister; while, Jishnu Dev Burman swore&nbsp;in as the Deputy Chief Minister of the state.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP National General Secretary Ram Madhav and other leaders of the BJP-ruled states attended the swearing-in ceremony.

Governor Tathagata Roy administered the oath.

Earlier in the week, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari announced Deb as the Chief Minister of Tripura while Jishnu Kumar Deb as the Deputy Chief Minister.

The BJP- Indigenous People&#39;s Front of Tripura (IPFT) coalition defeated the Communist Party of India with a two-thirds majority in the Tripura legislative assembly elections.

The BJP won 35 of the 59 seats that went to polls in Tripura, ousting the CPI(M) which won only in 17 assembly constituencies.&nbsp;

Biplab Deb yesterday took oath as the Chief Minister; while, Jishnu Dev Burman swore in as the Deputy Chief Minister of the state

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state president Biplab Kumar Deb took charge as Tripura Chief Minister on Saturday. Biplab Deb yesterday took oath as the Chief Minister; while, Jishnu Dev Burman swore in as the Deputy Chief Minister of the state. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP National General Secretary Ram Madhav and other leaders of the BJP-ruled states attended the swearing-in ceremony. Governor Tathagata Roy administered the oath. Earlier in the week, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari announced Deb as the Chief Minister of Tripura while Jishnu Kumar Deb as the Deputy Chief Minister. The BJP- Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) coalition defeated the Communist Party of India with a two-thirds majority in the Tripura legislative assembly elections. The BJP won 35 of the 59 seats that went to polls in Tripura, ousting the CPI(M) which won only in 17 assembly constituencies.

Biplab Kumar Deb takes charge as Tripura CM

Adding to the list of statues of leaders being vandalised in various parts of the country, a bust of Dalit leader B R Ambedkar in a residential locality in Chennai was found defaced on Thursday, triggering a protest by locals, police said.

The bust, placed inside a structure covered with a grill in a residential neighbourhood in Tiruvotriyur, was splattered with paint.

As news of the defacement spread, people in the north Chennai area staged a protest. A police team led by Deputy Police Commissioner (DCP) G Shashank Sai visited the spot and assured action against the culprits.

&quot;Based on a complaint from the local people, we have registered an FIR and two special teams have been formed to trace the culprits,&quot; the DCP said.

More police pickets have been posted in the area for maintenance of law and order, he said.

A series of incidents of desecration of statues of various leaders, including Ambedkar, rationalist E V Ramasamy &quot;Periyar&quot; and Jana Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee, have been reported from different parts of the country.

The incidents began after statues of Communist icon Vladimir Lenin were pulled down in Tripura following the BJP&#39;s victory in the Assembly elections, ending 25 years of Communist rule.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has strongly condemned the vandalism and said stern action would be taken against those found guilty.

The bust, placed inside a structure covered with a grill in a residential neighbourhood in Tiruvotriyur, was splattered with paint

Adding to the list of statues of leaders being vandalised in various parts of the country, a bust of Dalit leader B R Ambedkar in a residential locality in Chennai was found defaced on Thursday, triggering a protest by locals, police said. The bust, placed inside a structure covered with a grill in a residential neighbourhood in Tiruvotriyur, was splattered with paint. As news of the defacement spread, people in the north Chennai area staged a protest. A police team led by Deputy Police Commissioner (DCP) G Shashank Sai visited the spot and assured action against the culprits. "Based on a complaint from the local people, we have registered an FIR and two special teams have been formed to trace the culprits," the DCP said. More police pickets have been posted in the area for maintenance of law and order, he said. A series of incidents of desecration of statues of various leaders, including Ambedkar, rationalist E V Ramasamy "Periyar" and Jana Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee, have been reported from different parts of the country. The incidents began after statues of Communist icon Vladimir Lenin were pulled down in Tripura following the BJP's victory in the Assembly elections, ending 25 years of Communist rule. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has strongly condemned the vandalism and said stern action would be taken against those found guilty.

Ambedkar statue defaced in Chennai

BJP leader H Raja on Wednesday blamed staff managing his Facebook account for the controversial post on rationalist leader Periyar and expressed regret for the remarks even as the controversy refused to die down with parties and pro-Tamil outfits holding protests against him.

The state government has warned of action against those &quot;disrupting public peace.&quot;

In a Facebook post that was later deleted on Tuesday, Raja had said: &quot;Who is Lenin and what is the connection between Lenin and India? What connection India has with Communists? Today Lenin&#39;s statue removed in Tripura, tomorrow it will be the statue of EV Ramasamy in Tamil Nadu&quot;.

With the remarks stirring a controversy in Tamil Nadu, Raja initially took to Facebook on Wednesday to issue a clarification and express regret for his comments. 
In his online post, he said his &quot;Facebook admin&quot; had put up a post comparing the razing down of Lenin statue in Tripura to that of Ramaswamy.

&quot;Views should be confronted by views only and not by violence. I have no intentions of hurting anybody. Therefore, if anybody felt hurt by that post, I express my heartfelt regret,&quot; he said.

&quot;It is not acceptable to us to damage any statue of Periyar,&quot; he further said.

Later, speaking to reporters in Delhi, he claimed that his Facebook admin had put up such a post while he was travelling to the national capital for a party event.

&quot;I later removed the post and have also removed the admin,&quot; he said and once again expressed regret.

However, the move failed to cut any ice with political parties and pro-Tamil outfits in Tamil Nadu.

Opposition DMK and various fringe organisations and outfits staged protests in many parts of the state, with Raja&#39;s effigies being burnt in Chennai, Cuddalore and Salem among others.

Police detained scores of protesters, including some who tried to lay siege to the state BJP headquarters here. The protesters wanted the government to initiate legal action against the saffron party leader, known to make controversial remarks.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah have also condemned the vandalisation and warned of strong action against those indulging in such acts. The government warned of action against those affecting public peace.

&quot;Anyone disrupting public peace will be produced before the law,&quot; senior AIADMK leader and state Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar told reporters here.

Using a Tamil phrase, he indicated that the government will not hesitate to take action against anyone affecting public peace.

Opposition DMK said that following the outcry in Tamil Nadu on this issue, none would make such remarks henceforth.

DMK Working President MK Stalin recalled Ramasamy&#39;s contribution in fighting various social evils and striving towards an egalitarian society and said he was a widely respected leader.

Pointing out at the widespread protests and the public outcry against Raja&#39;s comments, Stalin said: &quot;none even in their dreams will now think of removing statues of Periyar.&quot;

&quot;If anyone wanted to do so, let them touch the statues and the DMK, which upholds the Dravidian ideals of Periyar, will show who they are,&quot; he said in a letter to partymen.

President of Makkal Neethi Maiam (MNM), actor Kamal Haasan, said he wondered if the ongoing controversy was aimed at diverting attention from the Cauvery issue. He said it came at a time when there were strong demands in the state urging the Centre to constitute the Cauvery Water Management Board (CMB), as per Supreme Court guidelines.

Asked if the BJP should take action against Raja, Haasan said: &quot;that would be the proper, decent thing to do.&quot;

Following the vandalism of a Periyar statue in Vellore, statues of the leader in different parts of the state were given police protection. Armed police security was also posted at Raja&#39;s residence in Karaikudi.

Meanwhile, in an apparent fallout of the incident, the BJP office in Coimbatore came under attack, after miscreants hurled petrol bombs at it.

The men, who came in an auto-rickshaw, hurled the bombs at the office in Siddapudur at around 4 am, they said, adding that the bombs fell short of the BJP office building.

A special police team has been formed to track down the culprits, based on CCTV camera footage, they added.&nbsp;

"Views can be debated only by countering it and not through violence. I don't want to hurt anyone. Therefore, if anyone has been hurt due to the post, I really regret the action," wrote Raja.

BJP leader H Raja on Wednesday blamed staff managing his Facebook account for the controversial post on rationalist leader Periyar and expressed regret for the remarks even as the controversy refused to die down with parties and pro-Tamil outfits holding protests against him. The state government has warned of action against those "disrupting public peace." In a Facebook post that was later deleted on Tuesday, Raja had said: "Who is Lenin and what is the connection between Lenin and India? What connection India has with Communists? Today Lenin's statue removed in Tripura, tomorrow it will be the statue of EV Ramasamy in Tamil Nadu". With the remarks stirring a controversy in Tamil Nadu, Raja initially took to Facebook on Wednesday to issue a clarification and express regret for his comments. In his online post, he said his "Facebook admin" had put up a post comparing the razing down of Lenin statue in Tripura to that of Ramaswamy. "Views should be confronted by views only and not by violence. I have no intentions of hurting anybody. Therefore, if anybody felt hurt by that post, I express my heartfelt regret," he said. "It is not acceptable to us to damage any statue of Periyar," he further said. Later, speaking to reporters in Delhi, he claimed that his Facebook admin had put up such a post while he was travelling to the national capital for a party event. "I later removed the post and have also removed the admin," he said and once again expressed regret. However, the move failed to cut any ice with political parties and pro-Tamil outfits in Tamil Nadu. Opposition DMK and various fringe organisations and outfits staged protests in many parts of the state, with Raja's effigies being burnt in Chennai, Cuddalore and Salem among others. Police detained scores of protesters, including some who tried to lay siege to the state BJP headquarters here. The protesters wanted the government to initiate legal action against the saffron party leader, known to make controversial remarks. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah have also condemned the vandalisation and warned of strong action against those indulging in such acts. The government warned of action against those affecting public peace. "Anyone disrupting public peace will be produced before the law," senior AIADMK leader and state Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar told reporters here. Using a Tamil phrase, he indicated that the government will not hesitate to take action against anyone affecting public peace. Opposition DMK said that following the outcry in Tamil Nadu on this issue, none would make such remarks henceforth. DMK Working President MK Stalin recalled Ramasamy's contribution in fighting various social evils and striving towards an egalitarian society and said he was a widely respected leader. Pointing out at the widespread protests and the public outcry against Raja's comments, Stalin said: "none even in their dreams will now think of removing statues of Periyar." "If anyone wanted to do so, let them touch the statues and the DMK, which upholds the Dravidian ideals of Periyar, will show who they are," he said in a letter to partymen. President of Makkal Neethi Maiam (MNM), actor Kamal Haasan, said he wondered if the ongoing controversy was aimed at diverting attention from the Cauvery issue. He said it came at a time when there were strong demands in the state urging the Centre to constitute the Cauvery Water Management Board (CMB), as per Supreme Court guidelines. Asked if the BJP should take action against Raja, Haasan said: "that would be the proper, decent thing to do." Following the vandalism of a Periyar statue in Vellore, statues of the leader in different parts of the state were given police protection. Armed police security was also posted at Raja's residence in Karaikudi. Meanwhile, in an apparent fallout of the incident, the BJP office in Coimbatore came under attack, after miscreants hurled petrol bombs at it. The men, who came in an auto-rickshaw, hurled the bombs at the office in Siddapudur at around 4 am, they said, adding that the bombs fell short of the BJP office building. A special police team has been formed to track down the culprits, based on CCTV camera footage, they added.

Periyar statue row: BJP leader H Raja expresses regrets, blames 'FB page admin'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday strongly condemned the<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/fall-of-lenin-in-tripura-and-its-cascading-effect-34968" target="_blank"> vandalism of statues</a> in many states of the country and spoke to Home Minister Rajnath Singh on the matter.

The Home Ministry said it has taken serious note of such<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/now-ambedkar-statue-vandalised-in-meerut-34983" target="_blank"> incidents of vandalism </a>and has directed state governments to take strong action.

In an advisory to all states and union territories, the Home Ministry said incidents of the toppling of statues have been reported from certain parts of the country and it has taken serious note of such incidents of vandalism.

Opinion: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/opinion-why-indians-are-waging-war-over-statues-of-lenin-periyar-shyamaprasad-34991" target="_blank">Why Indians are waging war over statues of Lenin, Periyar, and Syama Prasad</a>

&quot;The MHA has asked the states that they must take all necessary measures to prevent such incidents,&quot; it said.

The ministry said the state governments were told that persons indulging in such acts must be sternly dealt with and booked under relevant provisions of law.

The statement said Modi spoke Home Minister Rajnath Singh and sought &quot;stern action&quot; against those who resorted to vandalism of statues.

Following the demolition of Lenin statue in Tripura, a statue of the Dravidian icon and social reformer EVR Ramasamy, popularly known as Periyar, was vandalised in Tamil Nadu`s Vellore on Tuesday night.

A bust of BJP icon Shyama Prasad Mookerjee was blackened and smashed with a hammer in Kolkata&#39;s Keoratola crematorium.

(With inputs from Agencies)

The Home Ministry said it has taken serious note of such incidents of vandalism and has directed state governments to take strong action

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday strongly condemned the vandalism of statues in many states of the country and spoke to Home Minister Rajnath Singh on the matter. The Home Ministry said it has taken serious note of such incidents of vandalism and has directed state governments to take strong action. In an advisory to all states and union territories, the Home Ministry said incidents of the toppling of statues have been reported from certain parts of the country and it has taken serious note of such incidents of vandalism. Opinion: Why Indians are waging war over statues of Lenin, Periyar, and Syama Prasad "The MHA has asked the states that they must take all necessary measures to prevent such incidents," it said. The ministry said the state governments were told that persons indulging in such acts must be sternly dealt with and booked under relevant provisions of law. The statement said Modi spoke Home Minister Rajnath Singh and sought "stern action" against those who resorted to vandalism of statues. Following the demolition of Lenin statue in Tripura, a statue of the Dravidian icon and social reformer EVR Ramasamy, popularly known as Periyar, was vandalised in Tamil Nadu`s Vellore on Tuesday night. A bust of BJP icon Shyama Prasad Mookerjee was blackened and smashed with a hammer in Kolkata's Keoratola crematorium. (With inputs from Agencies)

Vandalism of statues: PM Modi condemns incidents; Centre asks states to take strong action

On Tuesday, the legacy of the Soviet leader in India received a disturbing jolt when a statue of his in Belonia town of Tripura was razed by an enthusiastic crowd of BJP supporters amid cries of &ldquo;Bharat mata ki jai.&rdquo;&nbsp;

Three people have been arrested over the last 48 hours in Tripura, for what the police has described, as &quot;post-poll&#39; violence.

The incident resulted in widespread condemnation from all corners of the country.&nbsp;

The violent act by the BJP workers which swept to power in the Communist citadel resulted in sporadic incidents of violence and statues of several leaders being vandalised. &nbsp;

A statue of Periyar was vandalised hours after a BJP leader suggested it in a controversial Facebook post responding to anger over Lenin statues being razed in Tripura.

Amid tension and protest, BJP&#39;s Tamil Nadu president Tamilisai Soundararajan expelled R Muthuraman, party functionary who was arrested for damaging Periyar statue in Thirupathur in Vellore district.&nbsp;

Today morning a Syama Prasad Mookerjee bust was blackened and its features smashed with a hammer in Kolkata, allegedly by six Jadavpur University students who are part of an ultra-left group. Syama Prasad Mookerjee was the founder of the BJP&#39;s predecessor Jana Sangh.

Six people have been detained in connection with the desecration of Bharatiya Jana Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mukherjee&#39;s bust in Kolkata&#39;s Kalighat

&#39;&#39;One incident of vandalism cannot be replied with another similar incident, we condemn both. We have arrested six people and we will repair it(SP Mukherjee&#39;s bust in Kalighat) as well,&#39;&#39; said Sovandeb Chattopadhyay, the chief whip, &nbsp;Trinamool Congress.&nbsp;

Syama Prasad Mukherjee is a patriot who laid his life for the nation. He is the son of West Bengal. Those guilty should be arrested immediately. CM Mamata Banerjee should punish those who vandalised his statue, said Sidharth Nath Singh, West Bengal BJP in-charge. &#39;&#39;We strongly condemn this incident,&#39;&#39; he added. &nbsp;

Meanwhile, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed in Madras High Court by advocate Surya Prakasam in wake of BJP leader H Raja&#39;s FB post on Periyar&#39;s statue. Court has agreed to hear the case in the afternoon.&nbsp;

&#39;&#39;I have removed that admin who posted the comment about Periyar and have deleted the post. I totally condemn vandalizing statues and violence. I express heartfelt regret for my Facebook post,&#39;&#39;H Raja said.&nbsp;

BJP president Amit Shah also condemned such incidents.&nbsp;

The recent issue of destroying of statues is extremely unfortunate. We as a party do not support the bringing down of anybody&rsquo;s statue, he tweeted from his official Twitter handle.&nbsp;

Shah also promised severe action against those involved in such hooliganism.&nbsp;

&#39;&#39;I have spoken to the party units in both Tamil Nadu and Tripura. Any person associated with the BJP found to be involved with destroying any statue will face severe action from the party,&#39;&#39; Shah stated in another tweet.&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

Three people have been arrested over the last 48 hours in Tripura, for what the police has described, as "post-poll' violence.

On Tuesday, the legacy of the Soviet leader in India received a disturbing jolt when a statue of his in Belonia town of Tripura was razed by an enthusiastic crowd of BJP supporters amid cries of “Bharat mata ki jai.” Three people have been arrested over the last 48 hours in Tripura, for what the police has described, as "post-poll' violence. The incident resulted in widespread condemnation from all corners of the country. The violent act by the BJP workers which swept to power in the Communist citadel resulted in sporadic incidents of violence and statues of several leaders being vandalised. A statue of Periyar was vandalised hours after a BJP leader suggested it in a controversial Facebook post responding to anger over Lenin statues being razed in Tripura. Amid tension and protest, BJP's Tamil Nadu president Tamilisai Soundararajan expelled R Muthuraman, party functionary who was arrested for damaging Periyar statue in Thirupathur in Vellore district. Today morning a Syama Prasad Mookerjee bust was blackened and its features smashed with a hammer in Kolkata, allegedly by six Jadavpur University students who are part of an ultra-left group. Syama Prasad Mookerjee was the founder of the BJP's predecessor Jana Sangh. Six people have been detained in connection with the desecration of Bharatiya Jana Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mukherjee's bust in Kolkata's Kalighat ''One incident of vandalism cannot be replied with another similar incident, we condemn both. We have arrested six people and we will repair it(SP Mukherjee's bust in Kalighat) as well,'' said Sovandeb Chattopadhyay, the chief whip, Trinamool Congress. Syama Prasad Mukherjee is a patriot who laid his life for the nation. He is the son of West Bengal. Those guilty should be arrested immediately. CM Mamata Banerjee should punish those who vandalised his statue, said Sidharth Nath Singh, West Bengal BJP in-charge. ''We strongly condemn this incident,'' he added. Meanwhile, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed in Madras High Court by advocate Surya Prakasam in wake of BJP leader H Raja's FB post on Periyar's statue. Court has agreed to hear the case in the afternoon. ''I have removed that admin who posted the comment about Periyar and have deleted the post. I totally condemn vandalizing statues and violence. I express heartfelt regret for my Facebook post,''H Raja said. BJP president Amit Shah also condemned such incidents. The recent issue of destroying of statues is extremely unfortunate. We as a party do not support the bringing down of anybody’s statue, he tweeted from his official Twitter handle. Shah also promised severe action against those involved in such hooliganism. ''I have spoken to the party units in both Tamil Nadu and Tripura. Any person associated with the BJP found to be involved with destroying any statue will face severe action from the party,'' Shah stated in another tweet.

SP Mukherjee statue vandalised in Kolkata, BJP expels TN party worker arrested for damaging Periyar statue

Hours after the announcement of Jishnu Debbarma as the deputy of new Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb, BJP&#39;s ally the Indigenous People&#39;s Front of Tripura or IPFT has expressed its unhappiness with the decision.

&quot;The people of Tripura wanted to see tribal representation in the cabinet. They wanted the chief minister to be from the IPFT. But it din&#39;t happen. There&#39;s a difference between the wishes of the people and politics. I am going to discuss this with BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma tomorrow,&quot; IPFT president N C Debbarma said on Tuesday.

Debbarma had on Monday said that IPFT would support the new government from outside if it was not given &#39;respectable&#39; positions in the ministry.

Clarifying the meaning of &#39;respectable&#39; positions, Debbarma said it meant proportionate representation of IPFT legislators in the cabinet and allocation of major departments to them.

No MLA of the IPFT was present in the meeting on Tuesday where Union minister Nitin Gadkari announced the names of Biplab Kumar as chief minister and Jishnu Debbarma as his deputy.

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Announcement of Dy CM after Parliamentary Board meeting is BJP&#39;s alone. We have discussed this with other senior leaders &amp; will discuss this with Himanta Biswa Sarma &amp; Ram Madhav tomorrow. There&#39;s no question of us being pleased or displeased: NC Debbarma, IPFT President <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Tripura?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Tripura</a> <a href="https://t.co/7qCYVL5IIY">pic.twitter.com/7qCYVL5IIY</a>
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&nbsp;

The BJP and the IPFT swept to power in the state, winning 43 seats in the 60-member assembly. BJP bagged 35 seats and the IPFT eight.

Elections were held for 59 seats of the 60-member assembly on February 18.

The IPFT came into being in the late &#39;90s and had campaigned for a separate state for tribals by carving out the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) on the plea that the indigenous people had become marginalised due to the huge migration of people to this state after partition of the country in 1947.

The tribal council area comprises two-third of the state&rsquo;s territory and the tribals form one-third of the population. The IPFT had forged an alliance with the BJP before the elections on the basis of a common minimum agenda, which included formation of a high-power committee with representations from the central and state governments and the indigenous community to address the problems of the tribals.

No MLA of the IPFT was present in the meeting on Tuesday where Union minister Nitin Gadkari announced the names of Biplab Kumar as chief minister and Jishnu Debbarma as his deputy.

Hours after the announcement of Jishnu Debbarma as the deputy of new Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb, BJP's ally the Indigenous People's Front of Tripura or IPFT has expressed its unhappiness with the decision. "The people of Tripura wanted to see tribal representation in the cabinet. They wanted the chief minister to be from the IPFT. But it din't happen. There's a difference between the wishes of the people and politics. I am going to discuss this with BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma tomorrow," IPFT president N C Debbarma said on Tuesday. Debbarma had on Monday said that IPFT would support the new government from outside if it was not given 'respectable' positions in the ministry. Clarifying the meaning of 'respectable' positions, Debbarma said it meant proportionate representation of IPFT legislators in the cabinet and allocation of major departments to them. No MLA of the IPFT was present in the meeting on Tuesday where Union minister Nitin Gadkari announced the names of Biplab Kumar as chief minister and Jishnu Debbarma as his deputy. Announcement of Dy CM after Parliamentary Board meeting is BJP's alone. We have discussed this with other senior leaders & will discuss this with Himanta Biswa Sarma & Ram Madhav tomorrow. There's no question of us being pleased or displeased: NC Debbarma, IPFT President #Tripura pic.twitter.com/7qCYVL5IIY — ANI (@ANI) March 6, 2018 × The BJP and the IPFT swept to power in the state, winning 43 seats in the 60-member assembly. BJP bagged 35 seats and the IPFT eight. Elections were held for 59 seats of the 60-member assembly on February 18. The IPFT came into being in the late '90s and had campaigned for a separate state for tribals by carving out the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) on the plea that the indigenous people had become marginalised due to the huge migration of people to this state after partition of the country in 1947. The tribal council area comprises two-third of the state’s territory and the tribals form one-third of the population. The IPFT had forged an alliance with the BJP before the elections on the basis of a common minimum agenda, which included formation of a high-power committee with representations from the central and state governments and the indigenous community to address the problems of the tribals.

BJP ally in Tripura unhappy after being denied 'respectable' positions in government

Biplab Kumar Deb has been named the new chief minister of Tripura.

Union minister Nitin Gadkari made the announcement paving the way for the Tripura leader to become the 10th&nbsp;chief minister of the state.

Jishnu Deb Burman who is set to become the deputy chief minister said: &quot;I, Biplab Ji with all the MLAs will work together to take Tripura on the path of development,&quot; adding,&quot;will make Tripura the No -1 state in education, health, rural and tribal development.&nbsp;

On Sunday, the state&#39;s chief minister Manik Sarkar resigned after CPM- led Left Front&#39;s government&#39;s dismal show in the polls.

Sarkar, who was the chief minister since 1998 could not stop the rout as his party could manage just 16 seats with th &nbsp;BJP and the Indigenous People&#39;s Front of Tripura (IPFT) winning 43 seats in the 60-member assembly.

The BJP in effect was able to breach Tripura, popularly known as &quot;Red Fort&quot; which was ruled by the Left for 25 years. 
&nbsp;

Sarkar, who was the chief minister since 1998 could not stop the rout as his party could manage just 16 seats

Biplab Kumar Deb has been named the new chief minister of Tripura. Union minister Nitin Gadkari made the announcement paving the way for the Tripura leader to become the 10th chief minister of the state. Jishnu Deb Burman who is set to become the deputy chief minister said: "I, Biplab Ji with all the MLAs will work together to take Tripura on the path of development," adding,"will make Tripura the No -1 state in education, health, rural and tribal development. On Sunday, the state's chief minister Manik Sarkar resigned after CPM- led Left Front's government's dismal show in the polls. Sarkar, who was the chief minister since 1998 could not stop the rout as his party could manage just 16 seats with th BJP and the Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) winning 43 seats in the 60-member assembly. The BJP in effect was able to breach Tripura, popularly known as "Red Fort" which was ruled by the Left for 25 years.

Biplab Kumar Deb to be next Tripura chief minister

The BJP has projected <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/biplab-kumar-deb-elected-tripura-bjp-chief-may-become-chief-minister-34861">Biplab Kumar Deb</a> as its chief ministerial face in Tripura, where it ended the Left&#39;s 25-year rule and won 35 of 60 assembly seats in the recently-concluded election. Deb will be Tripura&#39;s 10th chief minister, succeeding Manik Sarkar.

Deb is the president of the BJP&#39;s Tripura unit and has been associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). The 48-year-old completed his graduation from Tripura University in 1999 and moved to Delhi to join the RSS as volunteer. He also reportedly spent time at RSS headquarters in Nagpur. He returned to Tripura in 2016 to take charge of the BJP in the state.

Deb replaced Sudhindra Dasgupta as the BJP&#39;s Tripura unit chief - a decision which received thumbs up from PM Modi and party chief Amit Shah. He and is considered instrumental in turning around the BJP&#39;s fortunes in the Left citadel. With a door-to-door campaign and &quot;Chollo Paltai&quot; (let&#39;s make a change) slogan, Deb ensured the party&#39;s turnaround; he himself defeated CPI-M&#39;s Amal Chakraborty in the Banamalipur constituency by a margin of 9,549 votes.

Deb was born in Tripura&#39;s Udaipur on November 25, 1971. He is fond of gardening and listening to music.

Deb was unanimously elected leader of the BJP legislature party in Tripura on Tuesday. name was proposed by party MLA Sudip Roy Burman in the meeting,, Union minister Nitin Gadkari said.

Elections were held for 59 seats of the 60-member assembly on February 18.

Deb was born in Tripura's Udaipur on November 25, 1971. He is fond of gardening and listening to music.

The BJP has projected Biplab Kumar Deb as its chief ministerial face in Tripura, where it ended the Left's 25-year rule and won 35 of 60 assembly seats in the recently-concluded election. Deb will be Tripura's 10th chief minister, succeeding Manik Sarkar. Deb is the president of the BJP's Tripura unit and has been associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). The 48-year-old completed his graduation from Tripura University in 1999 and moved to Delhi to join the RSS as volunteer. He also reportedly spent time at RSS headquarters in Nagpur. He returned to Tripura in 2016 to take charge of the BJP in the state. Deb replaced Sudhindra Dasgupta as the BJP's Tripura unit chief - a decision which received thumbs up from PM Modi and party chief Amit Shah. He and is considered instrumental in turning around the BJP's fortunes in the Left citadel. With a door-to-door campaign and "Chollo Paltai" (let's make a change) slogan, Deb ensured the party's turnaround; he himself defeated CPI-M's Amal Chakraborty in the Banamalipur constituency by a margin of 9,549 votes. Deb was born in Tripura's Udaipur on November 25, 1971. He is fond of gardening and listening to music. Deb was unanimously elected leader of the BJP legislature party in Tripura on Tuesday. name was proposed by party MLA Sudip Roy Burman in the meeting,, Union minister Nitin Gadkari said. Elections were held for 59 seats of the 60-member assembly on February 18.

Biplab Kumar Deb: The man who turned around BJP's fortune in Tripura

Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad hit out at the Congress saying that the entire banking system was out of control under the leadership of Economist&nbsp;Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

He also blamed the Congress&nbsp;for the&nbsp;PNB Scam&nbsp;saying that UPA helped&nbsp;Mehul Choksi&nbsp;in&nbsp;2014.

He added that the corruption was&nbsp;planted in the Congress regime.

Prasad also said that the Congress party has issues with technology since technology brings transparency.&nbsp;

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Under the so called economist Prime Minister Manomhan Singh, the entire banking system went haywire due to all kinds of interference with it: Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad <a href="https://t.co/Uz0N1C3x5H">pic.twitter.com/Uz0N1C3x5H</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/970604658665361409?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Referring to the 80:20 Gold scheme, he said that the Congress must come clean in the loot. &nbsp;

He said &quot;There was a Scheme 80:20 introduced in August 2013 and repealed in November 2014. On 16th May 2014, the date of the declaration of results, the then Finance Minister gave &#39;aashirvaad&#39; to 7 private companies under 80:20 Scheme. One of those companies was Gitanjali.&quot;

He further said &quot;Chidambaram and Rahul Gandhi must answer why was this passed on the day of results to benefit these 7 private companies?

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Congress has been indulging in the politics of fear and confusion in the last 4 years: Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad <a href="https://t.co/kRNuRMNbhd">pic.twitter.com/kRNuRMNbhd</a>
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Replying to the Congress&#39; accusations of corruption in Rafale deal, he said: &quot;&nbsp;It is very surprising that Congress party which is drowned in corruption in Bofors among other purchases of weapons system, is raising questions on Rafale deal&quot;.&nbsp; He added that Congress could not execute Rafale deal for 10 years.&nbsp;

Prasad claimed that not a single loan given&nbsp;under the BJP government is Non-performing Asset.&nbsp;

He said &quot;Time and again we have stated that not a single loan given under our government is NPA. In 2008, the total advance to people given by the banks was Rs 18.06 Lakh Crores. By March 2014 amount went up to Rs 52.15 Lakh Crore. The stressed asset identified out of this was only 36 per cent&quot;.

He added &quot;Now the stressed asset has risen to 82 per cent out of that advances made in the UPA government. This means for more than one occasions the correct data could not make it to the records of the banks under UPA government&quot;.&nbsp;

Speaking about the party&#39;s historic victory in Tripura he said the win was very difficult for the country.&nbsp;

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Tripura ki jeet desh ke liye ek bahut doorgaami jeet hai: Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad <a href="https://t.co/RIVpAV0zm3">pic.twitter.com/RIVpAV0zm3</a>
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He said that they did not expect Congress to lose in North East where the party had a stronghold. However, the Congres&nbsp;lost in Tripura and Nagaland also.&nbsp;

He added that his party won in a region where 88 per cent&nbsp;population is majorly&nbsp;occupied by Christians.&nbsp;

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Congress UP, Haryana, Jharkhand, Kashmir mein haari. Hum ummid karte the ki North-East mein Cong ki pakad hai. Par Cong Tripura aur Nagaland mein 0. Nagaland mein BJP ne 20 candidates utare, aur 12 jeete. Hume 15% vote mile, aise pradesh mein jahan 88% Christians hain: RS Prasad <a href="https://t.co/ksqp6waYzZ">pic.twitter.com/ksqp6waYzZ</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/970610180093194240?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad hit out at the Congress saying that the entire banking system was out of control under the leadership of Economist Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. He added that the corruption was planted in the Congress regime

Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad hit out at the Congress saying that the entire banking system was out of control under the leadership of Economist Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. He also blamed the Congress for the PNB Scam saying that UPA helped Mehul Choksi in 2014. He added that the corruption was planted in the Congress regime. Prasad also said that the Congress party has issues with technology since technology brings transparency. Under the so called economist Prime Minister Manomhan Singh, the entire banking system went haywire due to all kinds of interference with it: Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad pic.twitter.com/Uz0N1C3x5H — ANI (@ANI) March 5, 2018 × Referring to the 80:20 Gold scheme, he said that the Congress must come clean in the loot. He said "There was a Scheme 80:20 introduced in August 2013 and repealed in November 2014. On 16th May 2014, the date of the declaration of results, the then Finance Minister gave 'aashirvaad' to 7 private companies under 80:20 Scheme. One of those companies was Gitanjali." He further said "Chidambaram and Rahul Gandhi must answer why was this passed on the day of results to benefit these 7 private companies? Congress has been indulging in the politics of fear and confusion in the last 4 years: Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad pic.twitter.com/kRNuRMNbhd — ANI (@ANI) March 5, 2018 × Replying to the Congress' accusations of corruption in Rafale deal, he said: " It is very surprising that Congress party which is drowned in corruption in Bofors among other purchases of weapons system, is raising questions on Rafale deal". He added that Congress could not execute Rafale deal for 10 years. Prasad claimed that not a single loan given under the BJP government is Non-performing Asset. He said "Time and again we have stated that not a single loan given under our government is NPA. In 2008, the total advance to people given by the banks was Rs 18.06 Lakh Crores. By March 2014 amount went up to Rs 52.15 Lakh Crore. The stressed asset identified out of this was only 36 per cent". He added "Now the stressed asset has risen to 82 per cent out of that advances made in the UPA government. This means for more than one occasions the correct data could not make it to the records of the banks under UPA government". Speaking about the party's historic victory in Tripura he said the win was very difficult for the country. Tripura ki jeet desh ke liye ek bahut doorgaami jeet hai: Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad pic.twitter.com/RIVpAV0zm3 — ANI (@ANI) March 5, 2018 × He said that they did not expect Congress to lose in North East where the party had a stronghold. However, the Congres lost in Tripura and Nagaland also. He added that his party won in a region where 88 per cent population is majorly occupied by Christians. Congress UP, Haryana, Jharkhand, Kashmir mein haari. Hum ummid karte the ki North-East mein Cong ki pakad hai. Par Cong Tripura aur Nagaland mein 0. Nagaland mein BJP ne 20 candidates utare, aur 12 jeete. Hume 15% vote mile, aise pradesh mein jahan 88% Christians hain: RS Prasad pic.twitter.com/ksqp6waYzZ — ANI (@ANI) March 5, 2018 ×

Chidambaram helped Mehul Choksi in 2014: Ravi Shankar Prasad

Speaking at the &quot;Youth Power Convention&quot; event, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that he always tries to meet more and more youth so that he can work according to their hopes and aspirations.&nbsp;

He said &quot; There is always something to learn from the conversations with young generation. Therefore, I always try to meet youth more and more, to talk to them, to listen to their experiences and to work according to their hopes &amp; aspirations&quot;.

He&nbsp;also talked about Atal Innovation Mission, introduced by the government, to convert&nbsp;ideas of school students into innovation.

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Innovation is the base of better future. To convert ideas of school students into innovation, government has introduced Atal Innovation Mission. More than 2,400 Atal Tinkering Labs have been approved across the country: PM Modi at &quot;Youth Power&quot; convention <a href="https://t.co/l8AyxsiBQe">pic.twitter.com/l8AyxsiBQe</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/970183132547760128?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

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&quot;Vidyarthi Devo Bhava is not only yours, but our mantra as well. In fact, with your permission, I would like to add in it, &quot;Yuva Shakti Devo Bhava&quot;: PM Modi at &quot;Youth Power&quot; convention <a href="https://t.co/gjnaVjwWhP">pic.twitter.com/gjnaVjwWhP</a>
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Speaking at the event he said a huge change was seen for the first time when the country opened their television sets early in the morning to know the mandate of North- East.&nbsp;

He said, &quot;A day after Holi, the results of North-east elections again created an environment of festival. You must think why I am discussing it here. I&#39;m not seeing it as victory and defeat of political parties, significant is that entire nation was involved in North-east&#39;s celebrations&quot; &quot;It happened for the first time that people in other states of the country opened their television set early morning to know the mandate of North-East public. This is a huge change&quot;.

&nbsp;

Speaking at Yuva Power Convention PM Modi said 'I always try to meet youth more and more, to talk to them, to listen to their experiences and to work according to their hopes & aspirations'

Speaking at the "Youth Power Convention" event, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that he always tries to meet more and more youth so that he can work according to their hopes and aspirations. He said " There is always something to learn from the conversations with young generation. Therefore, I always try to meet youth more and more, to talk to them, to listen to their experiences and to work according to their hopes & aspirations". He also talked about Atal Innovation Mission, introduced by the government, to convert ideas of school students into innovation. Innovation is the base of better future. To convert ideas of school students into innovation, government has introduced Atal Innovation Mission. More than 2,400 Atal Tinkering Labs have been approved across the country: PM Modi at "Youth Power" convention pic.twitter.com/l8AyxsiBQe — ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2018 × "Vidyarthi Devo Bhava is not only yours, but our mantra as well. In fact, with your permission, I would like to add in it, "Yuva Shakti Devo Bhava": PM Modi at "Youth Power" convention pic.twitter.com/gjnaVjwWhP — ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2018 × Speaking at the event he said a huge change was seen for the first time when the country opened their television sets early in the morning to know the mandate of North- East. He said, "A day after Holi, the results of North-east elections again created an environment of festival. You must think why I am discussing it here. I'm not seeing it as victory and defeat of political parties, significant is that entire nation was involved in North-east's celebrations" "It happened for the first time that people in other states of the country opened their television set early morning to know the mandate of North-East public. This is a huge change".

Always try to work according to hopes and aspirations of youth: PM Modi

When was the last time that results of elections to (three small) northeastern states seized the collective attention of the nation, with even the national media running round-the-clock coverage of the outcome? When was the last time that three states which send just five members to the Lok Sabha assumed so great a significance? There was no last time because this is the first occasion the phenomenon has been witnessed. There are sound reasons for this turn of events, which are also the major takeaways.

The first is that the Bharatiya Janata Party&rsquo;s bandwagon continues to roll in the North-East. The momentum which began with the party&rsquo;s win in Assam and with the formation of its Governments in Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur, has been maintained. Nearly all of the region is now painted saffron. This is a major achievement for a party which had a negligible presence in this part of the country just over a year ago. The second is that the Church card which non-BJP parties tried to play in these States collapsed, with the people emphatically rejecting the attempt. The Congress failed to mobilise the overwhelmingly Christian population in both Nagaland and Meghalaya to give it a mandate.

The third takeaway is that the power of alliances should never be underestimated. If the BJP has made such enormous gains in the North-East, it is largely because of its astute alliance management. The fourth is that the only second Left bastion in the country has abandoned the communists and gone to the Right &mdash; indeed, it is the first time that the BJP has toppled a Left regime in the country. The fifth is that the Congress has been reduced to a bit player, with only Meghalaya as the saving grace &mdash; and here too it&rsquo;s unlikely to form the next Government. And the sixth and last takeaway is that the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) helmed by the BJP is set to play an even larger role in the coming months in the region.

The contest in Tripura was expected to be close, and that is how it appeared in the initial hours of counting. But after the postal ballots were done with and the tribal region votes began to be counted, the BJP surged ahead dramatically.

Although party leaders maintain they had expected to win, even they must have been taken aback by the enormous scale of victory. A few things went wrong for the Left Front. The first is anti-incumbency. Having ruled for more than 20 years, the communists had lost drive, got complacent and taken the people for granted. Development had suffered and the new demography of voters that had emerged had no connect with the Left ideology &mdash; whether social or political or economic. The Left Front might still have got away with all this, had the BJP not smartly stepped up its presence to exploit the situation. Arguably, the Congress could have been the alternative, but the party&rsquo;s national leadership has made a general mess of its North-East strategy. Besides, most voters believe that the Congress is a reluctant rival to the communists whose support it takes at the national level on many issues.

If the Congress was seen as a reluctant rival in Tripura, it was not even in the race in Nagaland, having contested just 18 of the 60 seats. Various permutations and combinations are being worked out in the State, but none needs to factor in the Congress. So, whether the Naga People&rsquo;s Front (NPF) forms the Government or the BJP-National Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) does, it&rsquo;s a win-win situation for the BJP, because the NPF is already part of the larger NDA that rules the Centre.

Meghalaya is the only State that the Congress ruled when the election was held. But there is every indication it will not be able to return to power here, given that the National People&rsquo;s Party (NPP) headed by members of the PA Sangma family could tie up with the BJP, along with a few others pitching in.

If the BJP is celebrating, the Congress is busy spinning the results to suit its narrative. For instance, Congress representatives have been saying that the party&rsquo;s performance has been nothing different from what existed five years ago. It was not in power on Tripura; it will not be now. It was not in power in Nagaland; it will not be now. It was an important player in Meghalaya; it still is so. In other words, the Congress appears content with status quo while the BJP continues to eat into its space. Is this how it will read the outcome if it loses in the coming polls in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, where too it is not in power?

There are lessons both in victory and in defeat. The Congress needs to pull up its socks. It learnt nothing from the Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh fiasco. The victorious BJP must realise that alliances matter and that it must do more to communicate effectively with partners across the country - allies that are unhappy with it. There is another lesson for it: The talks of inclusive development and not divisive agenda works. The Congress paid the price for bringing Church politics in the narrative. The BJP kept beef politics aside, for example, and focussed on people-centric issues such as corruption, infrastructure etc. The North-East results may or may not set the tone for 2019, but they are pointers of some importance.

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(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

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The momentum which began with the party’s win in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur, has been maintained. Nearly all of the region of north-east India is now painted saffron.

When was the last time that results of elections to (three small) northeastern states seized the collective attention of the nation, with even the national media running round-the-clock coverage of the outcome? When was the last time that three states which send just five members to the Lok Sabha assumed so great a significance? There was no last time because this is the first occasion the phenomenon has been witnessed. There are sound reasons for this turn of events, which are also the major takeaways. The first is that the Bharatiya Janata Party’s bandwagon continues to roll in the North-East. The momentum which began with the party’s win in Assam and with the formation of its Governments in Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur, has been maintained. Nearly all of the region is now painted saffron. This is a major achievement for a party which had a negligible presence in this part of the country just over a year ago. The second is that the Church card which non-BJP parties tried to play in these States collapsed, with the people emphatically rejecting the attempt. The Congress failed to mobilise the overwhelmingly Christian population in both Nagaland and Meghalaya to give it a mandate. The third takeaway is that the power of alliances should never be underestimated. If the BJP has made such enormous gains in the North-East, it is largely because of its astute alliance management. The fourth is that the only second Left bastion in the country has abandoned the communists and gone to the Right — indeed, it is the first time that the BJP has toppled a Left regime in the country. The fifth is that the Congress has been reduced to a bit player, with only Meghalaya as the saving grace — and here too it’s unlikely to form the next Government. And the sixth and last takeaway is that the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) helmed by the BJP is set to play an even larger role in the coming months in the region. The contest in Tripura was expected to be close, and that is how it appeared in the initial hours of counting. But after the postal ballots were done with and the tribal region votes began to be counted, the BJP surged ahead dramatically. Although party leaders maintain they had expected to win, even they must have been taken aback by the enormous scale of victory. A few things went wrong for the Left Front. The first is anti-incumbency. Having ruled for more than 20 years, the communists had lost drive, got complacent and taken the people for granted. Development had suffered and the new demography of voters that had emerged had no connect with the Left ideology — whether social or political or economic. The Left Front might still have got away with all this, had the BJP not smartly stepped up its presence to exploit the situation. Arguably, the Congress could have been the alternative, but the party’s national leadership has made a general mess of its North-East strategy. Besides, most voters believe that the Congress is a reluctant rival to the communists whose support it takes at the national level on many issues. If the Congress was seen as a reluctant rival in Tripura, it was not even in the race in Nagaland, having contested just 18 of the 60 seats. Various permutations and combinations are being worked out in the State, but none needs to factor in the Congress. So, whether the Naga People’s Front (NPF) forms the Government or the BJP-National Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) does, it’s a win-win situation for the BJP, because the NPF is already part of the larger NDA that rules the Centre. Meghalaya is the only State that the Congress ruled when the election was held. But there is every indication it will not be able to return to power here, given that the National People’s Party (NPP) headed by members of the PA Sangma family could tie up with the BJP, along with a few others pitching in. If the BJP is celebrating, the Congress is busy spinning the results to suit its narrative. For instance, Congress representatives have been saying that the party’s performance has been nothing different from what existed five years ago. It was not in power on Tripura; it will not be now. It was not in power in Nagaland; it will not be now. It was an important player in Meghalaya; it still is so. In other words, the Congress appears content with status quo while the BJP continues to eat into its space. Is this how it will read the outcome if it loses in the coming polls in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, where too it is not in power? There are lessons both in victory and in defeat. The Congress needs to pull up its socks. It learnt nothing from the Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh fiasco. The victorious BJP must realise that alliances matter and that it must do more to communicate effectively with partners across the country - allies that are unhappy with it. There is another lesson for it: The talks of inclusive development and not divisive agenda works. The Congress paid the price for bringing Church politics in the narrative. The BJP kept beef politics aside, for example, and focussed on people-centric issues such as corruption, infrastructure etc. The North-East results may or may not set the tone for 2019, but they are pointers of some importance. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: BJP's bandwagon continues to roll in NE

The Bhartiya Janata Party will celebrate its <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/bjp-demolishes-left-citadel-in-tripura-certain-to-be-part-of-government-in-nagaland-34576" target="_blank">remarkable victory</a> in the Left bastion Tripura as Vijay Diwas on Sunday.

The celebrations are scheduled from 11 am to 1 pm.

BJP made a historic win in Tripura as they won twenty-eight seats in the 60-member Tripura Assembly.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/congress-never-so-diminished-as-it-is-now-narendra-modi-34570" target="_blank">Congress never so diminished as it is now: Narendra Modi</a>

BJP and its ally IPFT demolished the 25 years of&nbsp;left government from the state.&nbsp;

In the last elections, BJP got one per cent votes in Tripura.&nbsp;

The party&nbsp;and its alliance also <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/tripura-nagaland-victories-endorsement-of-modis-leadership-says-amit-shah-34557" target="_blank">emerged victorious in Nagaland</a>.&nbsp;

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The celebrations are scheduled from 11 am to 1 pm

The Bhartiya Janata Party will celebrate its remarkable victory in the Left bastion Tripura as Vijay Diwas on Sunday. The celebrations are scheduled from 11 am to 1 pm. BJP made a historic win in Tripura as they won twenty-eight seats in the 60-member Tripura Assembly. Also read: Congress never so diminished as it is now: Narendra Modi BJP and its ally IPFT demolished the 25 years of left government from the state. In the last elections, BJP got one per cent votes in Tripura. The party and its alliance also emerged victorious in Nagaland.

BJP to celebrate Vijay Diwas to mark its victory in North East

The Congress has sent its top guns to Meghalaya to explore possibilities of government formation there after its losses in two other northeastern states of Tripura and Nagaland.

The BJP wrested Tripura, the last Left bastion, and received invitation to be part of the government in Nagaland, while Meghalaya elected a hung Assembly.

Elections were held in 59 seats in all three states due to different reasons despite them having 60-member assemblies and results were announced today.

The Congress emerged as the single largest party in Meghalaya with 21 seats. The party&#39;s senior leaders Ahmed Patel and Kamal Nath left for Shillong this morning to work out possible tie-ups with Independents in to form a government.

No comments were issued by the Congress on its losses as party president Rahul Gandhi is out of the country. It did not win a single seat Tripura and Nagaland.

The Congress defended Gandhi&#39;s visit to Italy over the weekend, saying he had every right to meet his grandmother.

The party&#39;s leader Mukul Wasnik was also present in Shillong, where all the leaders held talks with the local leadership, other parties and Independents.

The Congress&#39; move comes in the wake of criticism in the past that the party was caught &quot;napping&quot; in Goa and Manipur, where despite emerging as the single-largest party it failed to form governments.

Sources said that Patel and Nath soon after reaching Shillong in the afternoon held discussions with party leaders, including outgoing chief minister Mukul Sangma.

Both the leaders claimed that the Congress would form government in Meghalaya and was working towards it.

The Congress was in power in Meghalaya for five years and it hoped to get a majority this time too, which did not happen, Wasnik said.

No party has got majority and parties with the same ideology should work together to form a government, he said.

Meghalaya is one of the five states currently held by the Congress. The other states are Punjab, Karnataka and Mizoram, and Union territory Puducherry.&nbsp;

The BJP wrested Tripura, the last Left bastion, and received an invitation to be part of the government in Nagaland, while Meghalaya elected a hung Assembly

The Congress has sent its top guns to Meghalaya to explore possibilities of government formation there after its losses in two other northeastern states of Tripura and Nagaland. The BJP wrested Tripura, the last Left bastion, and received invitation to be part of the government in Nagaland, while Meghalaya elected a hung Assembly. Elections were held in 59 seats in all three states due to different reasons despite them having 60-member assemblies and results were announced today. The Congress emerged as the single largest party in Meghalaya with 21 seats. The party's senior leaders Ahmed Patel and Kamal Nath left for Shillong this morning to work out possible tie-ups with Independents in to form a government. No comments were issued by the Congress on its losses as party president Rahul Gandhi is out of the country. It did not win a single seat Tripura and Nagaland. The Congress defended Gandhi's visit to Italy over the weekend, saying he had every right to meet his grandmother. The party's leader Mukul Wasnik was also present in Shillong, where all the leaders held talks with the local leadership, other parties and Independents. The Congress' move comes in the wake of criticism in the past that the party was caught "napping" in Goa and Manipur, where despite emerging as the single-largest party it failed to form governments. Sources said that Patel and Nath soon after reaching Shillong in the afternoon held discussions with party leaders, including outgoing chief minister Mukul Sangma. Both the leaders claimed that the Congress would form government in Meghalaya and was working towards it. The Congress was in power in Meghalaya for five years and it hoped to get a majority this time too, which did not happen, Wasnik said. No party has got majority and parties with the same ideology should work together to form a government, he said. Meghalaya is one of the five states currently held by the Congress. The other states are Punjab, Karnataka and Mizoram, and Union territory Puducherry.

Congress sends top guns to Meghalaya in bid to form government

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