Published 13:58 IST, February 18th 2021
Tripura CM Biplab puts Harvard University in London - 2021's 'Amazon is in Africa' moment
According to news portal Northeast Now, Tripura Chief Minister Biblab Kumar Deb in another goof-up on Tuesday said that the Harvard University "is in London."
- India News
- 3 min read
Days after raking up a controversy where he quoted Union Home Minister Amit Shah saying that the "BJP wants to expand in Sri Lanka and Nepal", Tripura CM Biplab Kumar Deb has made another very quotable claim. According to news portal Northeast Now, the BJP leader said that the Harvard University "is in London."
'Harvard University is in London': Tripura CM
Biplab Deb made the remarks while addressing a gathering at Tripura Central University on Tuesday. "A city or place can become famous by its University," Biplab Deb said. "When we think about England or London, pictures of Cambridge University and Harvard University come to our mind," the report quoted him as saying. Moreover, he also failed to pronounce Boston-based Harvard as he called it ‘Covered’. The Harvard University, established in 1636 is located in the United States and is among the most prestigious education institutes in the world.
The report also stated that last year, Biplab Deb had said that “Amazon rainforest is in Africa”. Rather, the Amazon rainforest is located in Brazil and extending into Colombia, Peru and other South American countries.
The Tripura Chief Minister was quoted in media reports as saying that the BJP was planning to extend its footprint in Sri Lanka and Nepal. On Saturday, Deb said Shah, when serving as BJP president, had told party leaders that the BJP would establish rule in other regional countries as part of 'Aatmanirbhar South Asia' initiative.
'Now Sri Lanka and Nepal is left'
“We were talking in the state guest house when Ajay Jamwal (North-East Zonal Secretary of BJP) said that BJP has formed its government in several states of India, in reply Shah said, Now Sri Lanka and Nepal is left. We have to expand the party in Sri Lanka, Nepal and win there to form a government,” the Chief Minister said quoting the Union Home Minister.
According to a report in news portal East Mojo, Deb said it was only under the leadership of Amit Shah that the BJP became the world’s largest party. "The communist had claimed that their party was the largest in the world, which Amit Shah broke by making BJP the largest party in the world. Deendayal Upadhyaya’s party, Shyama Prasad’s party, Prishtha Pramukh’s party," Deb added.
"The BJP will change the trend of change of government between the Left and the Congress every five years in Kerala and emerge as the winner in the southern state as well," he said. It is not immediately clear how serious Deb was about Shah's purported remarks.
Reacting to his remarks, Sri Lanka's Election Commission Chairman Nimal Punchihewa shot down reports of the BJP planning to set up a political unit in the island nation, saying the country's electoral law does not permit such an arrangement. Even Nepal lodged a formal objection.
Updated 13:58 IST, February 18th 2021