Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Deb and his wife Niti at a function in New Delhi. (Express File Photo: Renuka Puri)
Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb has condemned the “fake” social media campaign about his divorce, calling it a “deep-rooted conspiracy” hatched to damage his image. A statement issued from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) late Friday night said the rumours were “baseless, obscene and motivated”.
“The CM has appealed to the people of Tripura not to be confused by such campaigns,” the statement put out by Milind Ramteke, Additional Secretary to the CM, said. The statement added that an FIR has been lodged on the issue.
Speaking to IndianExpress.com, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Tripura Police Arindam Nath said an FIR was lodged by an individual at the West Agartala Police Station on Friday, accusing one Anupam Paul of forgery, defamation and criminal conspiracy. “We have registered the FIR. The accused has not been arrested till now. He was not present at his house when police went to look for him,” the DIG said.
The same Anupam Paul was earlier named in a FIR in 2018 for allegedly calling former CM Manik Sarkar a “thief’” and “beggar” on social media. He was also accused of posting photoshopped images of Sarkar, former state Congress president Birajit Sinha and Rose Valley Group chairman Goutam Kundu in different cases.
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The rumours around Deb’s divorce started after a document, purportedly about a divorce suit filed against him, went viral on social media on Thursday. Responding to this, his wife Niti Deb had called the social media campaign a “dirty rumour” spread for political mileage.
“Rumors have no mouth, only dirty, filthy and sick minds generate for cheap publicity and mileage,,and importantly when paid high for spreading such dirty Rumors to gain political advantage against influencial people…otherwise who will follow these culprits.” Niti wrote on Facebook.
BJP spokesperson Dr Ashok Sinha, meanwhile, criticised people for rumour-mongering and demanded the administration take strictest action against those involved.
The Congress appealed to people to stop launching personal attacks, or attacks against ones family.
In an oblique reference to the fake news campaign against the CM, Tripura Congress president Pradyot Kishore Debburman wrote on Facebook, “…request all the people from all spheres not to personally attack any person or a family as seen now on media. Please be dignified and let personal family matters not be dragged into public space. There are children involved as well and please do not stoop to the level where we destroy reputations.”
The writer is director general of shipping
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