Agartala: Mar 19: The “Amra Bangali” party has strongly protested the construction of a Taj Hotel at the Pushpavant Palace, condemning the state government and the Tipra Motha party for their involvement in the project. In a press release, the party expressed its concerns over the government’s decision to allocate ₹258 crore to the ADC for tribal community development and the promise of 200 jobs for Tipras at the hotel. This led to a memorandum of understanding between the state government and the Tata Group, handing over the Maharaja Birendra Kishore Manikya Museum and Cultural Center for the construction of a five-star hotel.
The party argues that the government is undermining the cultural heritage of Tripura by demolishing the guesthouse of the Manikya kings, which holds significant emotional value for the Bengali hill community. They point out that there is already an international-standard hotel nearby and suggest that the Taj Hotel should be built in another location, not at the Pushpavant Palace, which is tied to the legacy of the Manikya kings and Rabindranath Tagore. The palace, previously known as Kunjoban Palace, was where Tagore stayed in 1926 at the invitation of the royal family. It was later renamed Pushpavant Palace by Tagore himself.
The party also emphasizes that the palace, which became the Raj Bhavan and later a digital museum, preserves important memories of the royal family and Tripura’s cultural history. The party strongly opposes the destruction of this heritage site and urges the government to relocate the Taj Hotel project to another site, ensuring the preservation of Tripura’s cultural identity. They also criticized the leader who initially opposed the project but later supported it after fulfilling personal and ADC interests. The party called for action that considers the state’s cultural heritage and the welfare of its people.