Agartala, Oct 21: Ruling BJP ally Tipra Motha founder and royal scion of Tripura, Pradyot Kishore Debbarma on Wednesday called for strict action against a self-proclaimed content creator accused of making racially derogatory remarks against a youth from Tripura, saying the incident had hurt the sentiments of people across the state.
Speaking to reporters at Maharaja Bir Bikram (MBB) Airport here, Debbarma said the alleged remarks were not merely an insult to the tribal community but had offended the people of Tripura as a whole.
A police complaint was lodged at the NCC police station in Agartala earlier today by the Youth Tipra Federation (YTF) against the content creator, Amir Shokeen, over the alleged remarks.
Debbarma said using derogatory terms such as “Chinky” and “Chinese” for people from the Northeast and subsequently dismissing such remarks as jokes was unacceptable.
“He may consider it a joke, but it hurts us,” he said, questioning the language allegedly used to refer to Tripura, a state with an ancient cultural heritage.
The Tipra Motha founder urged Chief Minister Manik Saha to take appropriate steps and ensure the arrest of the accused. He said Tripura should respond firmly to such incidents rather than allowing people to ridicule the state because of its relatively small size.
Referring to Assam, Debbarma said he believed the authorities there would take strong action in a similar situation and called for comparable seriousness in Tripura.
The controversy comes amid condemnation of a video allegedly showing Shokeen making racially derogatory remarks against a youth from Tripura. The allegations could not be independently verified from the material provided.
Separately, Debbarma reiterated his decision to stay away from active politics, saying he wanted to remain connected with the people of Tripura but had made up his mind not to return to electoral politics.
“I have already made up my mind that I will not come back to politics,” he said, adding that he felt people like him were not sufficiently valued in politics.
Debbarma also extended wishes for peace, prosperity and development in Tripura on the occasion of the concluding day of Durga Puja. He said he would continue to perform his traditional duties during the festive period.
He expressed hope that the state would continue to progress and that peace and prosperity would prevail among its people.
