Tripura temple row: TIPRA Motha seeks CM Manik Saha’s intervention

Claims made by a section of individuals stating that a mosque in Tripura’s South district is actually a temple, have now snowballed into a political controversy.

TIPRA Motha, which is the Opposition party in the Tripura Assembly has now sought Chief Minister Manik Saha’s intervention into the matter, stating that the matter must be examined and experts in the relevant field must be roped in to find out the truth.

Speaking to Northeast Live, Animesh Debbarma citing news reports said, “I think on the 10th or 11th of this month there is one faith mela that is now called the Porjyoton Unnayan Mela. Earlier, it was Sampritie Mela during the Left government. After BJP and IPFT came to power they changed the name. In fact as far as my knowledge goes about that during the year 1992, a mosque was found there and the local Muslims they go there for prayer and after this Porjyoton Unnayan Mela, when the CM visited that place, some BJP activists, I saw a photograph where a few BJP activists handed over a picture of that mosque where it is written as Jagannath Mandir or something like that. Now my point is when people were praying there since 1992, it’s a long time. Now all of a sudden if it happens to be a Jagannath Mandir after may be 30 years, I only can tell that the government, particularly the CM must intervene into the matter and let the mosque or mandir, this a historical structure, let the structure be exmained by competent authority, now he should interfere, he should request the competent authorities to get it examined.”

The Tripura CPI (M) had alleged that some mischievous people were trying to fan communal tension. On the other hand, the Congress accused the BJP of resorting to polarization politics.

Read also: Tripura: CPI(M) alleges section of Hindu-backed organisations trying to claim mosque as Jagannath temple

Watch also: Tripura temple controversy: TIPRA Motha seeks CM Manik Saha’s intervention