Tripura CM Says Jats, Punjabis Have ‘Less Brains,’ Clarifies Later

Following an uproar, Biplab Deb has taken to Twitter to say he was voicing the opinion of some people, not his own.

Biplab Kumar Deb.

(File Photo: Indrajit Roy/IANS)

In his latest dispatch, Tripura CM Biplab Kumar Deb was heard unfavourably comparing people from different parts of the country, saying Jats and Punjabis had ‘less brains’ but were physically strong.

Following an uproar over his comments , the CM has taken to Twitter to clarify that he was voicing the opinion of some people about Punjabis and Jats, not his own.

“I am proud of both Punjabi and Jat communities. I myself have lived among them for a long time. I have many friends from this community. I can never imagine raising questions on the role played by these two communities in advancing India,” he tweeted.

On Sunday, CM Deb had said that while Bengalis were widely considered intelligent, Punjabis “had less brains but were very strong and could only be defeated by brain power, not brawn.” Adding to this, he said “Jats also have less brains. They are buff. If anyone takes panga with Jats, they bring guns out of their home”.

This is not the first foot-in-mouth statement by the Tripura CM.

While he was most recently reported providing incorrect data on the number of COVID-19 positive cases in neighbouring states, Deb is also known for claiming that internet existed in the time of the Mahabharata.

Previously, he has also falsely claimed that Rabindranath Tagore gave away his Nobel Prize, whereas the Bengali poet had actually returned his knighthood, an honour bestowed by the British government, as a mark of protest against their policies in India.

Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala called Deb’s comments “shameful and unfortunate.”