Tripura minister Nath compares Biplab Deb to Vivekananda, Einstein, Gandhi, triggers furore

Nath, who has earlier courted controversy with remarks over organ harvesting, while stating that great leaders like Swami Vivekananda, Subhas Bose, Rabindra Nath Tagore and Mahatma Gandhi were born in the country, also termed it “lucky” that Biplab Deb was born in Tripura.

Tripura’s education minister Ratan Lal Nath has fuelled a controversy after he equated former chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb with Swami Vivekananda, Albert Einstein, among others.

Tripura’s education minister Ratan Lal Nath has fuelled a controversy after he equated former chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb with Swami Vivekananda, Albert Einstein, among others. (ANI)

Nath, who has earlier courted controversy with remarks over organ harvesting, while stating that great leaders like Subhas Bose, Rabindra Nath Tagore and Mahatma Gandhi were born in the country, also termed it “lucky” that Deb was born in Tripura.

“Those who were at the helm of the state affairs had failed us to dare dream. The only person who taught us to dream is Biplab (Kumar) Deb and many of (his) dreams he has fulfilled”, he said at a function in Kamalpur Town Hall in Dhalai district on Friday.

“Sometimes some great leaders were born in our country and in the world like Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, Kabriguru Rabindranath Tagore, Mahatma Gandhi, Swami Vivekananda and Einstein. In every place every (great) individual isn’t born”, he said, adding that “we are lucky enough that a person like Biplab Deb was born in our state.”

The opposition was quick to react to his comments.

“People who have little knowledge about the country’s culture, tradition and etiquette are running the state of affairs. The way he (Nath) equated the former CM Biplab Deb with some of the country’s great sons, amounts to showing disrespect, ” Trinamool Congress state president Subal Bhowmik said.