Tripura govt withdraws flex boards after outrage over leaders' photos above deity

Agartala: The Tripura government has withdrawn a series of publicity flex boards put up in Udaipur town for the annual Diwali Mela at the Tripura Sundari temple, following widespread criticism over their design, which placed photographs of political leaders above the image of the presiding deity.

The flex boards, installed by the Department of Information, Culture, and Tourism to welcome pilgrims visiting the historic Matabari shrine, drew sharp reactions from devotees and residents after visuals showed the image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi positioned above that of Goddess Tripura Sundari.

Photographs of local Chief Minister Manik Saha and state Information and Cultural Affairs Minister Sushanta Chowdhury also appeared above the image of the temple, triggering public outrage.

Several devotees, local organizations, and social groups termed the display “disrespectful” and demanded its immediate removal.

Allegations surfaced that some officials in the department had attempted to please political leaders by prioritizing their images over that of the deity.

Reacting to the controversy, Matabari MLA Abhishek Debroy told reporters on Friday that he had no prior knowledge of the flex design and had already discussed the matter with Minister Sushanta Chowdhury.

“The minister himself was unhappy with the issue. I believe this should not have happened at all,” Debroy said.

Asked whether the incident was politically motivated, the MLA said he was unaware of any such attempt but confirmed that the matter had been formally brought to the attention of the concerned department. “The department will take an appropriate decision after considering all aspects,” he added.

Tourism Minister Sushanta Chowdhury also reacted, saying the publicity materials had been withdrawn following the controversy.

Initially, it was presumed that the flex boards had been installed by the Tourism Department of Tripura.

“Whenever such publicity materials are installed for public display, the department responsible puts its name on them. Those boards did not contain any such mentions, so people could not identify the department. The Tourism Department hasn’t done it. I am sure whoever is responsible for such design work is involved in a conspiracy to malign the image of the government,” Chowdhury said.

Under public pressure, the state government ordered the immediate removal of all such flex boards from various parts of Udaipur.

Several civil bodies have since demanded an inquiry to identify those responsible for what they called an “avoidable and insensitive act.”

The Diwali Mela at the Tripura Sundari temple, popularly known as Matabari, is among the biggest religious events in Tripura.

According to organizers, more than 2,000 artists are set to participate in the three-day-long cultural extravaganza.

A total of 620 stalls have been set up, and the expected turnout of devotees is around 1.5 lakh.