Agartala: Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb on Tuesday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi loved him like a son.
“There is no truth in the [media] reports of Modiji summoning me to Delhi. The [Delhi] trip was long planned. In fact, Modiji loves me like a son,” Deb tweeted.
He denied media reports that the Prime Minister had called him to Delhi in view of his recent controversial statements on various issues.
An official of the Chief Minister’s Secretariat said Deb left for New Delhi on Tuesday to attend a series of programmes in the national capital.
“From Delhi the Chief Minister will go to Bengaluru to join BJP leaders to campaign for the party ahead of the May 12 Karnataka Assembly elections,” the official added.
The Additional Secretary to the Chief Minister, Milind Ramteke, said the Chief Minister would attend a meeting chaired by Modi on Wednesday of a national committee set up to commemorate Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary.
“Deb is also likely to meet several central ministers including Prakash Javadekar. He will attend a meeting with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj where all Chief Ministers from the other northeastern states will be present,” the official added.
Deb has courted controversy with his comments.
An arts graduate from Tripura University, Deb had stated that the Internet and satellite communication existed during the Mahabharata era. He also questioned the crowning of Diana Hayden as Miss World in 1997.
The 47-year-old chief minister also stated that mechanical engineers should not opt for civil services, but civil engineers should.
He asked educated youths to set up paan shops instead of running after political parties to get government jobs. He urged young people to explore careers in the dairy field and cattle rearing.
He suggested that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee must consult doctors for mental treatment.
Deb’s controversial statements have drawn criticism from mainstream media, social media, intellectuals and political adversaries.
Asked about his statements, Deb told the media: “I am not quoted accurately. You know better what I want to say. Inner meaning of my comments have not appeared in the media.”
Recently, the Prime Minister advised BJP leaders not to give “masala” to the media by commenting on every issue, saying they affect the country, the BJP and the individual’s image.
