Tripura CPM leader Jitendra Chaudhury draws BJP ire for ‘the taller one is, the dumber one is' remark
'He directly insulted tall people. He should apologise in public if he made the statement in sound condition. Or else, I will ask his party leaders to arrange for his immediate treatment,' said Lal, a senior BJP leader.
Chaudhury's remark, made during a political gathering at Harina in South Tripura on Monday, touched a raw nerve with the ruling BJP, given that the party's MP Biplab Kumar Deb, who is tall and a fitness enthusiast, would often face sharp jibes from the CPM over some of his controversial comments when he was the chief minister.
The Leader of the Opposition did not name anyone, though.
Reacting to Chaudhury's remark, Lal cited the examples of several eminent people such as Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Rabindranath Tagore, Satyajit Ray, Bengali actor Soumitra Chattopadhyay, wrestler Satpal Singh, Amitabh Bachchan, cricketer Ishant Sharma, Odisha's former chief minister Biju Patnaik, and Tripura's longest-serving chief minister Manik Sarkar.
The BJP minister said Chaudhury insulted all these people with his remark and that he implied they were not intelligent.
Lal further said Chaudhury was dropped from former chief minister Sarkar's cabinet over his alleged involvement in a ginger scam that took place during Left Front rule, adding that a file had been maintained documenting the CPM leader's alleged misdeeds.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Indian Express
14 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
DMK allies to boycott governor's Independence Day reception
CHENNAI: The Congress, CPM, CPI, Viduthalai Chiruthaikal Katchi and Manithaneya Makkal Katchi (MMK) have announced they will boycott the 'At home' reception to be hosted by Governor RN Ravi on the Independence Day. TNCC president K Selvaperunthagai, in a statement, said his party is boycotting the reception, protesting the anti-Tamil attitude of the governor, and condemning him for forwarding the Bill on Kalaignar University to the President. VCK president Thol Thirumavalavan said the party has been boycotting the reception, protesting the successive governors' activities against state autonomy and the two-language policy, besides attempting to saffronise the antiquities of Tamil Nadu. CPM state secretary P Shanmugam said ever since assuming office, Ravi has been acting against federal principles and the interests of Tamils, besides the Constitution. Even after the SC defined the powers of the governors, Ravi has continued with his stance. CPI state secretary R Mutharasan expressed similar views. MMK president MH Jawahirullah said the governor has been clashing with the popular government in TN for unnecessary reasons, and hence, the party has decided to boycott the reception.
Hans India
14 minutes ago
- Hans India
Street dog menace: Oppn MLAs want SC directions to be extended to State
Bengaluru: Opposition MLAs on Wednesday urged the Karnataka government to implement the Supreme Court directives on addressing the street dog menace in the state and take steps to protect the residents. The MLAs highlighted the stray dog issue near Vidhana Soudha and the Legislators' Home, and sought the Speaker's intervention. These remarks by the MLAs came after the Supreme Court directed Delhi-NCR authorities to permanently relocate all strays from streets to shelters 'at the earliest'. The top court noted that there was an 'extremely grim' situation due to stray dog bites resulting in rabies, particularly among children. The call for action comes a day after two college students were attacked by stray dogs here and they were hospitalised. The incident occurred inside the Jnanabharathi campus, near Kengeri. Raising the issue, soon after the Question Hour, JD(S) floor leader in the Assembly C B Suresh Babu said if all the corporations of the state were to take similar action, it would protect the children. Senior BJP MLA Suresh Kumar said the apex court's directions should be extended to all parts of the country. 'In the last six months, 18,000 dog bites have been reported in Bengaluru, 18 people were infected by rabies. It should become applicable even in Bengaluru, Mangaluru, Mysuru and other places,' he said. Another BJP MLA C N Ashwath Narayan said the court order should also be applied to the premises of Vidhana Soudha, the seat of Karnataka legislature and secretariat here, where there is street dog menace. 'There are about two lakh reported dog bite incidents, it is a serious matter. We can send them (dogs) on the streets, to dog lovers' houses. The Chief Minister has tweeted expressing sympathy.... the government should take action, the Supreme Court directions should be implemented in Karnataka too,' he added. In the wake of the SC directive to Delhi, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said treating stray dogs as a nuisance to be 'removed' is not governance - it is 'cruelty'. Humane societies find solutions that protect people and animals, he said, adding that, 'Sterilisation, vaccination, and community care work. Fear-driven measures only create more suffering, not safety.' Pointing to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike's (BBMP) Rs 2.88 crore plan to feed about 4,000 street dogs in the city, which had led to a debate on social media recently, Suresh Babu said, 'Instead of the corporation serving Biryani to dogs, let the authorities take measures to control their menace.' On the dog menace at the Legislators' Home, BJP MLA Umanatha Kotian said, 'We can't step out, dogs are (Speaker) should take note and give instructions to officials.' Expressing helplessness, Speaker U T Khader said, 'Some legislators want the dogs to be around, some don't want...' A few other legislators too requested the Speaker to take action, pointing out that both Vidhana Soudha and Legislators' Home come under the Speaker's jurisdiction. Earlier in February, Speaker Khader had announced that it has been decided to build shelters for dogs and to manage them with the help of NGOs, aimed at resolving the problem caused by street dogs on the Vidhana Soudha premises. He had made it clear that the dogs won't be shifted elsewhere.
Hans India
14 minutes ago
- Hans India
Ramalinga Reddy calls for Kannada Shloka training in Muzrai temples
Bengaluru: Muzrai Minister Ramalinga Reddy announced that priests in Karnataka's Muzrai temples will be instructed to learn and recite shlokas in Kannada during worship. The directive aims to promote the use of the Kannada language in religious rituals. During the Legislative Council's Question Hour, BJP member Bharathi Shetty pointed out that while Tamil Nadu temples recite shlokas in Tamil, Karnataka temples still predominantly use Sanskrit. She suggested that Karnataka temples should also introduce Kannada shloka recitation, citing the example of Hiremagalur Kannan, known for his Kannada recitations. Shetty further raised concerns about cleanliness in temples and urged for maintenance on the lines of Tirupati. Responding, Reddy said that after years of delay, certificates for Agama training are now being issued, and priests will be guided to practise Kannada shlokas. He added that from August 15, plastic will be banned in temples, alongside stricter cleanliness measures. State to act on bike taxi services as per High Court order Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy has stated that the government will comply with the High Court's order regarding the reinstatement of bike taxi services in the state. Responding to BJP MLC D.S. Arun in the Legislative Council, Reddy explained that bike taxi services, including Rapido, were halted due to rule violations by operating companies. Arun had argued that the suspension deprived many young people of employment opportunities and inconvenienced commuters, noting that there are about 8 lakh gig workers in the state. Reddy recounted that in 2018, discussions were held on the pros and cons of bike taxi services, and in 2019 a committee led by the Metro MD recommended against them. However, in 2021, battery-powered vehicles were allowed. The current suspension, he said, is due to operators flouting regulations. 'The matter is in court, and a verdict is expected in a few days. The government will act in accordance with the court's decision,' he assured.
