Tripura CM Defends New Government Emblem Amid Controversy

Agartala, Jan 13 (NationPress) In response to the uproar concerning the newly unveiled emblem of the Tripura government, Chief Minister Manik Saha on Monday asserted that the design was proposed to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) only after gathering input from all relevant parties and securing the state Cabinet's endorsement, which was granted last week.

While addressing the Assembly, CM Saha responded to criticisms from the Leader of Opposition (LoP) Jitendra Chowdhury, emphasizing that the state Cabinet had consulted various stakeholders, including artists and intellectuals, before endorsing the emblem and recommending it to the MHA.

“The Left Front held power in the state for 35 years but never established an emblem. The BJP government took the initiative and followed due process to finalize the government emblem,” stated CM Saha, who is also responsible for the Home and Information and Cultural Affairs departments.

Previously, LoP Chowdhury, who also serves as the CPI-M state secretary and former Minister, argued that the new government emblem fails to reflect the rich heritage, culture, and traditions of Tripura.

He criticized the use of saffron as the background color, suggesting that since Tripura is one of the greenest states in India, the background should be green or feature an image of the state's animal, the elephant.

The LoP called on the BJP government to reconsider the emblem's design.

During the discussion, Tourism and Transport Minister Sushanta Chowdhury mentioned that a public competition was conducted for the emblem's design.

“The Left parties are perpetual critics, never acknowledging anything positively,” the Minister asserted.

Last week, the MHA approved the official emblem for the state in response to the Tripura government's request.

“Tripura has officially received its state emblem. This is a significant milestone for the state, symbolizing its unique identity. The emblem will proudly represent Tripura's history, culture, and its people,” the Chief Minister expressed on social media.

After more than five decades since becoming a full-fledged state, this northeastern region has finally acquired its official emblem.

The former princely states of Tripura, along with Manipur, merged into the Indian Union in October 1949, achieving statehood on January 21, 1972.

Meghalaya was part of Assam before also attaining full statehood on the same date.

All three northeastern states were granted full state status under the North Eastern Region (Re-Organisation) Act, 1971.