Speaking at a party meeting at Rabindra Sarabarshiki Bhava on Saturday, Tripura’s Chief Minister, Biplab Deb, said that India’s ruling Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) intends to set up its political party in Sri Lanka and Nepal. This, he said, was a part of the BJP’s “Atmanirbhar South Asia” initiative, which would further strengthen the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) alliance.
Deb, who is also a political leader of the BJP, quoting the party’s leader said, “We were talking in the state guest house when Ajay Jamwal (northeast zonal secretary of BJP) said that BJP had formed its government in several states of India. In reply, [Amit] Shah said that now Sri Lanka and Nepal are left. We have to expand the party in Sri Lanka, Nepal, and win there to form a government.” He added, “The BJP is the largest party in India now. It has maximum numbers of [Members of Parliament], [Members of Legislative Assembly, and other elected members.” Deb, applauding Amit Shah, India’s Home Minister, and his vision and leadership, added that he had led the party to unprecedented success. Additionally, he spoke of Shah’s plan to bring down the “flip-flop” government in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and West Bengal.
Furthermore, this statement was also corroborated by party spokesperson Nabendu Bhattacharjee, who said that apart from Sri Lanka and Nepal, the party also wishes to extend its influence to other Asian and African countries. Speaking at a press briefing on Monday, he said, “Our targets and plans are not to form government in those states. Out “Pracharaks” (functionaries) are broadening BJP’s philosophy and belief in those states. If the people of those countries accept our principles and viewpoints then the future course of action would be shaped.”
Responding to this claim, the key opposition party in Tripura, the Communist Party of India (Maoist), or the CPI (M), urged the central government to explain Deb’s statement. A senior leader from the party, Jitendra Chaudhary, said that the Chief Minister’s statement reflected a complete lack of understanding of the constitution and the country’s democratic principles. Further, he added that this showed that this signalled Shah’s intention to lead a “state conspiracy against Nepal”. Moreover, the Tripura Congress’s Vice-President, Tapas Dey, also condemned the statement, suggesting that it indicated the BJP’s engagement with “imperialism”, further urging the leader to abandon any attempts to interfere in the internal and sovereign affairs of Nepal and Sri Lanka.
Deb’s statement also attracted criticism from the Sri Lankan Election Commission’s Chairperson, Nimal Punchihewa, who slammed the statement saying, “Any Sri Lankan political party or group is permitted to have external links with any party or group overseas. But, our electoral laws do not permit overseas political parties to work here.”
BJP Looks to Form Political Party in Nepal and Sri Lanka
Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb said that the BJP intends to extend its political influence across South Asia by forming governments in the Nepal and Sri Lanka.
February 16, 2021
SOURCE: DNA