Tripura chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb sparked a fresh controversy on Saturday evening when he revealed BJP’s alleged ambition to form a government in neighbouring Nepal and Sri Lanka.
He was addressing a gathering during thanksgiving to the Centre for the Budget at Rabindra Shatabarshiki Bhawan.

“Amit Shah, who was then the BJP national president, had told us that the party was planning to expand its footprint and establish it’s ruling in Nepal and Sri Lanka during a close interaction with several leaders at the state guesthouse here,” Biplab claimed.
Lauding the Union Budget of the next financial year, Biplab said: “It is a step towards the making of an ‘Atmanirbhar South Asia’. The policies and actions of India have been able to make Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal self-reliant. The Narendra Modi-led-government wants ‘Sab Ka Sath, Sab Ka Vikas’ (inclusive development for all).”

“After the formation of the NDA government in 2014, Modi had convened a meeting of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries, including the Prime Minister of Pakistan, because India wanted to grow with the neighbours,” the Tripura CM said, calling the gesture by PM Modi exceptional.
Talking of poll-bound West Bengal, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, Biplab said: “The people of West Bengal will bid goodbye to Mamata didi as Modi and Shah have reached Bengal. The flip-flop of CPM and Congress in Kerala will be over this time because BJP is all set to come to power there. The government in Tamil Nadu would not have formed without BJP. The lotus will bloom across the country.”

The opposition CPM and Congress demanded immediate action against Biplab for his “most undemocratic speech” against sovereign countries like Nepal and Sri Lanka and called for an investigation into his claim about Shah planning to capture power in the neighbouring countries.
“If Shah had indeed said what Biplab claims and a democratically elected chief minister reveals it in public, it exposes the mindset of the Narendra Modi government. This will not only amount to interference in the internal politics of other countries but will also hurt India’s foreign policy,” Badal Chowdhury, a veteran Communist and the former minister said.

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