Facing attack from various sections for his controversial statements comparing Punjabis and Jats with the Bengalis, Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb on Tuesday apologized asserting that he did not intend to hurt sentiments.

Deb had stirred a controversy by saying that Punjabis and Jats are physically strong but less brainy while Bengalis are known to be very intelligent.

However, in a series of tweets in Hindi on Tuesday morning, the Chief Minister sought forgiveness for his remarks saying that many of his friends were Punjabis and Jats, and he is proud of people hailing from the two communities.

“I always salute the contributions of the Punjabi and Jat communities in the freedom struggle of the country.

And I can never imagine raising questions on the role played by these two communities in advancing India,” Deb tweeted.

“I had expressed the views some people have about them. I am proud of Punjabi and Jat communities. I have lived among them for quite some time...If my statement has hurt anyone's feelings, I apologise for that," the Chief Minister said on Twitter.

Taking serious note of Deb's “derogatory” remarks against the Punjabis and Haryanvis, Aam Aadmi Party’s Punjab unit president Bhagwant Mann demanded immediate dismissal of BJP leader as Tripura’s Chief Minister “for his insensate remarks”.

“Such communal and racist remarks laid bare the cheap ideology not only of Biplab Deb but also that of the entire BJP, which deserved to be condemned in strongest possible terms,” said Mann in a joint statement along with the Leader of Opposition in Punjab Vidhan Sabha Harpal Singh Cheema, MLAs — Prof Baljinder Kaur, Kultar Singh Sandhwan, Aman Arora, Meet Hayer, Jai Kishan Singh Rouri, Rupinder Kaur Ruby and Kulwant Singh Pandori.

Mann said that if the community (the Punjabis) about which the BJP Chief Minister had made derogatory and uncouth remarks, had not made supreme sacrifice to liberate the nation from the British hegemony, he won’t have been the Chief Minister of Tripura state.

“Punjabis have made a space for themselves all over the world by contributing to the economic, social and political growth of the countries they were settled in by dint of their ability and hard work, which is why the number of Punjabi Ministers in Canada cabinet, including the Minister of Defence, are higher than the Punjabis in the Modi Cabinet,” said Mann.

Mann said that when the country was wrestling with the spectre of starvation after attaining independence, the benefactor farmers of Punjab and Haryana had contributed to turn the country a self-sufficient in food grains.

A day before Congress’ national chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala had said that Deb, with his controversial remark, has insulted the “Sikh brothers” of Punjab and the Jat community of Haryana.

“This is the BJP's lowly mindset. Why are Khattar ji and Dushyant Chautala silent? Where are Modi ji and Naddaji? Apologize, take action,” Surjewala had tweeted.

CONTROVERSIAL STATEMENT

Addressing a programme at the Agartala Press Club on Sunday, Deb had said that every community in India is known for its certain type and character.

A video clip of the chief minister's statement had gone viral on social media.

“For Bengal or Bengalis, it is said that one should not challenge them when it is regarding intelligence. Bengalis are known as very intelligent and it is their identity,” Deb was heard saying in the clip, adding, “When we talk about the people of Punjab, we say he's a Punjabi, a Sardar.

 They may have less intelligence but are very strong. One can't win them over by strength but with love and affection. A large number of Jats live in Haryana. So what do people say about Jats? Jats are less intelligent but are very healthy. If one challenges a Jat, he will bring a gun from his house,”.

DEB’S PAST CONTROVERSIES

Earlier, too, Chief Minister Deb had courted controversies on multiple occasions. In 2018, he said that internet and satellite television existed in the time of the Mahabharata.

He had also questioned the crowning of Diana Hayden as “Miss World” in 1997 and alleged that international beauty pageants were a farce.

Last year, he claimed that Mughals intended to destroy the cultural wonders of the State by “bombing” its arts and architectures.