GUWAHATI: Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb has stirred a hornet’s nest again, this time by stereotyping communities.
Addressing a conference of the Tripura Electronic Media Society at Agartala on Sunday afternoon, he nonchalantly termed Sardars and Haryanvi Jats as “less brainy”.
“When we talk about the Punjabis, we say the Sardars are not afraid of anyone. They have a lot of strength but they are less brainy. They cannot be won with might but love,” Deb said.
Continuing in the same vein, he said the Haryanvi Jats are stoutly built but they too are less brainy.
He then followed it up by speaking about a trait of Bengalis. “Bengalis too have an identity – they are intelligent. It is widely said that none can beat the wit of the Bengalis,” Deb added.
He has made several controversial remarks ever since he donned the CM’s mantle in 2018. Once, he claimed Internet existed in the times of the Mahabharata.
“Sanjaya could relay the Kurukshetra war to Dhritarashtra as Internet, satellite and technology were there,” he had claimed.
His other controversial remarks were civil engineers make good administrators, not mechanical engineers; ducks increase the level of oxygen in water bodies; decisions to award Miss World and Miss Universe titles to Indian women for five years in a row was market-driven etc.
The 38-year-old Deb had led the BJP to power in Tripura for the first time in 2018 by ending the 25-year rule of the Left Front government which was led by the CPI-M.