Tripura MP slams CPI(M), terms 35-Year rule as ‘Permanent Emergency’

Former Tripura Chief Minister and Lok Sabha MP Biplab Kumar Deb on Wednesday launched a fierce attack on the Communist Party of India (Marxist), branding their 35-year-long rule in Tripura as a “Permanent Emergency” that allegedly deprived citizens of their constitutional rights and individual freedoms.

Deb made the remarks while addressing a gathering at ‘Samvidhan Hatya Diwas’ (Constitution Killing Day), an event organized by the state government to mark the 50th anniversary of the Emergency imposed by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1975.

“Indira Gandhi declared Emergency for personal reasons, not for the nation. It was a dark chapter in independent India’s history. But what Tripura experienced under the Communists was far worse — a permanent emergency that lasted 35 years,” Deb said.

He alleged that under the CPI(M)’s regime, fundamental rights were trampled, civil liberties were curtailed, and people had to seek the party's permission for basic actions. “Nothing moved without the party’s consent. Citizens were reduced to pawns. Voices of dissent were stifled,” he claimed.

Accusing the Left of ideological complicity with Maoist groups, Deb referred to a recent Politburo statement following the killing of Maoists in Chhattisgarh. “They are the ones who nurtured the Maoists. When Maoists are neutralized, they release statements mourning them. It shows where their loyalties lie,” he said.

Taking aim at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Deb remarked, “The grandson of the Prime Minister who trampled the Constitution now flaunts a copy of it without knowing how many pages it has. Their only aim is to distance the youth from true history.”

The BJP MP further alleged that both the Congress and CPI(M) attempted to erase key chapters of India’s and Tripura’s heritage by manipulating school curricula. “The contributions of Tripura’s Maharajas were systematically removed from textbooks. Our rich history was distorted for political convenience,” he said.

Concluding his address, Deb warned that forgetting one’s history poses a threat to cultural identity. “Their goal was to erase our roots, our consciousness, and our pride as Tripuris. But we will not allow that to happen,” he added.