‘My Father Came From Bangladesh’: Tripura CM Biplab Deb on NRC

“My father came from Bangladesh, I will lose my CM post if NRC is implemented in Tripura,” says Biplab Deb.

File image of Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb. 

(Photo: IANS)

On Biplab Deb’s 48th birthday, on 25 November, a video clip of a press conference held by the Tripura CM has gone viral, where he can be seen talking about the contentious NRC issue.

Recently, Amit Shah had told Parliament that NRC will be implemented across India, courting sharp reactions from across the political spectrum.

In the clip, Deb is heard saying that his chief ministerial post will be in jeopardy if NRC is implemented in Tripura as his father and relatives had come from Bangladesh and availed citizenship in India.

“If I implement it (NRC) in my state, my relatives... my father came from Bangladesh. He got his citizenship card. After that, I was born in Tripura. So, if anyone suffers a loss due to NRC, I shall lose my chief ministership first. Am I a fool, that I shall implement NRC to lose CM-ship?”

Biplab Dev, Tripura CM

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According to a report in The Indian Express, the CM’s media advisor Sanjay Mishra said that the video was taken out of context for political reasons.

He goes on to say that in the full version of the video, the CM can be heard mentioning how NRC and Citizenship Bill will help India fend off illegal immigrants.

Last year, Deb had said that Tripura will only implement NRC if it is successful in Assam. Over 19 lakh were excluded from the list published on 31 August 2019 with detention centres set up in Assam and West Bengal.

(With inputs from The Indian Express)