Tipra Motha women wing stages demonstration to oppose plans to convert Pushpabant Palace into hotel

Agartala, Dec 4 (PTI) The Tipra Women Federation (TWF) on Wednesday staged a demonstration against the Tripura government's proposal to convert Pushpabant Palace into a five-star hotel.

TWF, the women's wing of the Tipra Motha Party, has been vehemently opposing the government’s move to convert the palace, built in 1917 by Maharaja Birendra Kishore Manikya Debbarma, into a five-star hotel.

"We have learnt that the government plans to hand over Pushpabant Palace for setting up a five-star hotel. We strongly oppose the move as it is associated with the history, culture and heritage of the Manikya dynasty. If the government wants, they can build a five-star hotel in the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) headquarters at Khumulwng in West Tripura," TWF president Manihar Debbarma told reporters.

She further explained that people did not oppose when President Droupadi Murmu laid the foundation stone to make Pushpabant Palace a museum, as it would preserve the heritage and culture of the Manikya dynasty.

Debbarma also expressed dismay over the renaming of Astable Ground to Swami Vivekananda Stadium during the Left Front regime.

"The Left Front government had renamed Astable Ground, just adjacent to Ujjayanta Palace, as Swami Vivekananda Ground. Now, this government has moved to convert Pushpabant Palace into a hotel. To oppose this move, we held a six-hour demonstration in front of the palace," she said.

Debbarma added that the TWF wants the government to maintain ‘status quo’ of the royal property. PTI PS MNB