Agartala:  Opposition Left and Congress parties on Monday criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party’s leadership after Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb’s reported comments to extend the base of the saffron party in Nepal and Sri Lanka.

The opposition parties said that the ruling BJP’s plan and target to expand its base in Nepal and Sri Lanka are against India’s foreign policies and these cannot be done as the two countries are sovereign nations.

Chief Minister Biplab while addressing a party meeting here on Saturday reportedly quoted Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and said: “When Home Minister was the BJP’s National President he during a meeting with us in Agartala had said that we have extended our base across India. Now we have to go to Sri Lanka and Nepal.” He said that the BJP would form government in West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and the party would remain in power in Tripura for 30 years as the CPI-M would be finished in the next assembly elections in 2023.

“The BJP is the largest party in India now. It has maximum numbers of MPs, MLAs and other elected members,” Deb said. The BJP, however, also supported the Chief Minister’s views. Party spokesman Nabendu Bhattacharjee said that not only Sri Lanka and Nepal, the BJP’s philosophy is being extended in many Asian and African countries.

“Our targets and plans are not to form governments in those states. Our “Pracharaks” (functionaries) are broadening BJP’s philosophy and belief in those states. If the people of those countries accept our principles and viewpoints then the future course of action would be shaped,” Bhattacharjee told the media on Monday.

Sharply criticising the Chief Minister’s announcement, Communist Party of India-Marxist central committee member Jitendra Chowdhury said that Deb’s speech is a combination of arrogance and ignorance.

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