Senior Congress leader and former minister Sudip Roy Barman on Thursday claimed that several leaders within the ruling BJP, as well as Tipra Motha founder Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma, still carry “Congress DNA” in their political lineage.

The remark came a day after Pradyot, the royal scion of Tripura and a former state Congress president, visited the Congress Bhawan in Agartala to return a sack full of party flags that had remained at his residence since his time in the party.

“Pradyot told me a few days ago that during his tenure as Tripura Congress president, the AICC had sent a consignment of party flags which were still with him. I asked him to return them if possible. On Wednesday, he came with a sack full of flags so they could be used again. I’m grateful for his gesture,” Roy Barman said.

He noted that although Pradyot waited in his car and looked for him and the current state Congress president, neither were present at the time. “He was once our party president. His gesture reflects that political differences shouldn't stand in the way of personal relationships,” he added.

Roy Barman also criticized what he called a growing culture of political hostility. “Just because we are in different parties doesn’t mean we can’t visit one another’s homes. This toxic political culture started after the BJP came to power. We must change this,” he said.

“Pradyot’s DNA is Congress. In fact, the majority of BJP leaders also have Congress DNA. Deep down, many of them still have a soft corner for the Congress,” he added.