BJP Govt in Tripura Under Fire For Not Inviting Opposition Parties, Ex-Royals During Modi's Temple Visit

Agartala: The recent visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the Mata Tripura Sundari temple on September 22 has sparked off a political drama in Tripura, with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) being criticised by the opposition and even questioned by its own allies over the exclusion of opposition parties and erstwhile royal family members from the inauguration of the renovated temple.

The opposition Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI (M)) have termed the incident as the BJP's "private company" approach to governance.

The controversy surrounding the inauguration of the newly renovated temple, popularly known as Matabari, located at Udaipur in Gomati district of Tripura, has now reached the state assembly floor, with the state government being questioned for the selective invitation policy for an event funded entirely by public money.

Opposition cries foul over complete exclusion

Leader of opposition in Tripura state assembly and CPI(M)) politburo member Jitendra Chaudhury told reporters on Monday (September 22), that despite his constitutional position, he did not receive an invitation for the event.

"I didn't receive any invitation letter. Until yesterday evening I was in Agartala, but no invitation letter came. From this it can be assumed that even as the leader of opposition, I didn't receive any invitation, nor did the party receive one," said Chaudhury.

The senior CPI(M) leader didn't mince words in his criticism of the BJP government's approach. "Whether we would have gone if we received an invitation is another matter. This is not a religious ceremony. A project has been created centered around Maa Tripura Sundari temple using state money, meaning people's money," he explained.

Chaudhury accused the ruling party of treating the state and even the country as personal property, stating, "It's a tradition of the state that all political parties and certainly party representatives who are in the assembly should be invited. Even if it's not written in papers or any law, this is a moral responsibility of the state government”.

“But this government's perspective in every field is that they think they are not elected representatives or democratically empowered individuals. They think the entire state is their personal property and BJP is the holding company," he added.

Chaudhury further alleged systematic exclusion across all government events.

"Whether it's any inauguration ceremony with people's money, or constitutional activities – be it elections or exercising people's rights – in all places, for BJP, there are no laws or rules. BJP has become a holding company, a private limited company," he said.

Congress leadership slams 'political use' of deity

Tripura Pradesh Congress president Asish Kumar Saha expressed strong displeasure over the exclusion, accusing the BJP of politicising the deity revered by the public. Speaking to mediapersons on September 22, he said, "BJP has created the impression that Mata Tripureshwari belongs only to the BJP party. The ruling BJP party is using Mata Tripureshwari politically as well."

Saha emphasised the constitutional nature of the Prime Minister's office.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the new form of the traditional Mata Tripureshwari temple under the PRASAD project. This is a government event. The PM belongs to both ruling and opposition parties. Opposition parties have always been invited to the Prime Minister's programmes. But opposition parties were not invited to the programme organised around the PM's visit for the inauguration of the new form of the mother's temple," said Saha.

"Mata Tripureshwari belongs to everyone. But BJP is creating such an impression as if Mata Tripureshwari belongs only to the BJP. The ruling party is also using Mata Tripureshwari politically. By not inviting opposition parties to today's programme, BJP has made this clear," the Congress leader added.

'The crores of rupees spent here is not any party fund money, it's our tax money'

Congress MLA from Agartala Assembly Constituency Sudip Roy Barman spoke to media persons, questioning the exclusion of constitutional authorities.

"The Prime Minister belongs to all of us. This was not a political visit, this was not a political party's programme. There are Rajmata Bibhu Kumari Devi, two former Chief Ministers, Leader of Opposition, various opposition party MLAs, it would have been good if they were invited," said Barman.

Barman criticised the conversion of a government event into a party programme.

"This avoidance of opposition parties (by the BJP) has converted it into a party programme. No one was sent invitations from the government side," he said.

The Congress legislator didn't hold back in his assessment of the ruling party's mindset.

"This is their narrow mentality, and people have understood their intention of doing politics in the name of Maa Tripura Sundari. The crores of rupees spent here is not any party fund money, it's our tax money. They shouldn't have done this. By doing this, they have shown their narrow mentality," said Barman

Barman also wrote a scathing post about the government's approach on his official facebook page.

"He is the country's Prime Minister. No political party identity applies here. Mata Tripura Sundari temple's new architectural form was inaugurated by him today. In such an arrangement, the state's ruling party and government showed the ultimate form of indecency. None of the other party MLAs or opposition party officials were invited to the programme. The image of the party that can engage in political games even with goddess Mata Tripura Sundari is already clear to the people. I condemn from my heart such low mentality of the ruling party and government," he wrote.

Erstwhile royal family left out of historic moment

The exclusion of the erstwhile Manikya royal family, whose ancestors built the temple in 1501, has particularly stung the Tiprasa community. TIPRA Motha MLA Ranjit Debbarma revealed the extent of the snub while speaking to The Wire on September 22.

"We were not invited. None of us who are elected representatives of the people were sent invitations. Even nobody from the royal family was sent invitations. This morning I spoke with the Maharaja, he said he didn't receive an invitation. Only as cabinet minister, forest minister Animesh Debbarma was there," Debbarma stated.

He highlighted the systematic exclusion of traditional stakeholders.

"As far as I know, no one from TTAADC was also invited. Besides, our elders who are there, who have been connected with this temple in various ways since the royal period, they were also not seen in this programme. Only a few of those who are BJP supporters from the tribal belt were kept," he observed.

Debbarma didn't hide his disappointment with the historical significance being ignored.

"We think today's programme will remain a chapter of shame in Tripura's history. Because this temple was built in 1501 during the time of Maharaja Dhanya Manikya," said Debbarma.

“Today it has been built again in a modern way and this is one of the 51 Shakti Peethas. If everyone, especially someone from the royal family, had been invited in today's programme, if they had been honoured, it would have been very beautiful," he added.

Allies question BJP in assembly

The controversy reached the state assembly on Tuesday (September 23). On the final day of the eighth session of the 13th Tripura legislative assembly, ruling BJP ally TIPRA Motha raised the matter prominently.

During zero hour, TIPRA Motha Party legislator Pathan Lal Jamatia questioned why the erstwhile royal family was not invited for the historically significant occasion of the PM's visit to the Tripura Sundari Temple.

"The royal family holds deep historical importance, as currently in numerous temples, including the Tripura Sundari Temple, religious ceremonies are conducted under the authority of Maharaja Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma. This practice continues in Durga Bari and the Chaturdash Devta Temple as well, yet he received no invitation to attend the event. I seek clarification on the reasoning behind this exclusion," Jamatia demanded.

Fellow TIPRA Motha representative Biswajit Kalai supported these concerns, emphasising that no member of the erstwhile Manikya royal lineage received an invitation, causing distress among the Tiprasa community.

Similarly, legislator Ranjit Debbarma expressed bewilderment at the complete absence of royal representation.

"It is deeply regrettable that yesterday no royal family member received an invitation. This incident will be remembered as a dark moment in our state's history," he said.

Meanwhile, Congress MLA Birajit Sinha raised pointed questions about the selective nature of the event. "Does this event and the temple serve only the BJP's interests?"

Government's defence falls short

Addressing the mounting criticism, Tourism Minister Sushanta Chowdhury attempted to deflect responsibility to the Prime Minister's Office.

"The approved list included our East Tripura MP Kriti Devi Debbarma, who is the member of royal family. Several TIPRA Motha Party officials from Gomati district were also in attendance. According to established protocol, state-level decisions were not the determining factor. We submitted our proposed list to the PMO, which they examined, modified, and returned to us," said Chowdhury.

However, the minister's explanation revealed the absence of the designated royal representative.

"Unfortunately, MP Kriti Devi could not attend due to medical treatment. TIPRA Motha Party representatives were present at the event. The opposition appears intent on manufacturing controversy, despite attendance from across the state," he added.

“I must emphasise – please don't interpret this as a personal slight. We have maintained proper respect for our coalition partners."

Just after Chowdhury, forest minister Animesh Debbarma, who is also a TIPRA Motha Party MLA, provided additional context about internal discussions.

"The matter was thoroughly discussed. According to my understanding, the PMO instructed that the ceremony should maintain a modest scale. I had specifically advocated for inviting Raj Mata Bibhu Kumari Devi. Ultimately, the decision was made to have Kriti Devi Debbarma attend as the royal family's representative," he said.

Later, parliamentary affairs and power minister Ratan Lal Nath concluded the assembly discussion with what appeared to be an acknowledgment of the controversy's impact.

"Initially, arrangements were finalised at the state level before submission to the PMO. Subsequently, modifications were implemented over night, with the PMO making the ultimate determinations. We have no intention of causing offense to anyone. If individuals feel slighted, this is genuinely distressing. We must exercise greater caution in future planning," he sad.

Historical context adds to controversy

The Tripura Sundari temple, built by Maharaja Dhanya Manikya in 1501, holds immense significance as one of the 51 Shakti Peethas in Hindu tradition. The temple's renovation under the central government's PRASAD (Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive) scheme involved crores of rupees in public funding.

The exclusion of the erstwhile royal family from an event celebrating their ancestral heritage has been particularly galling for the Tiprasa community, while the systematic omission of all opposition representatives has raised fundamental questions about democratic governance in the state.

As the political storm continues to rage, the controversy has highlighted the thin line between religious ceremonies and political events, especially when public money is involved.

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