Fresh Controversy Erupts Over New Government Flex Banners Featuring Ministers’ Faces Across Tripura, Including Maa Tripureshwari Temple Area

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, October 19, 2025

A new wave of controversy has surfaced in Tripura after several fresh promotional flex banners were reportedly installed today across various districts, including the sacred premises of Maa Tripureshwari Temple, under the name of the State Tourism Department. The banners prominently display the faces of the Prime Minister, Chief Minister, and Transport & Tourism Minister Sushanta Chowdhury.This incident comes just weeks after a similar set of flex banners appeared at Maa Tripureshwari Temple and multiple locations across Agartala, where images of ministers were placed above the photograph of Goddess Tripureshwari. The previous display had triggered widespread outrage on social media, with many users criticizing the placement of ministers’ faces above the deity’s image as disrespectful and inappropriate.

Facing public backlash, Minister Sushanta Chowdhury had then clarified that the Tourism Department was not responsible for the earlier banners. He alleged that opposition parties were behind the move, aiming to tarnish the image of the government and the Tourism Department. Following the controversy, the disputed flex banners were swiftly removed from all locations.

However, the installation of new flexes, reportedly printed and placed using government funds, has reignited public anger. Citizens and netizens have expressed strong criticism on social media, questioning the repeated expenditure of lakhs of rupees from the state exchequer for what they call self-promotional displays.This is not the first time such a controversy has emerged. Similar criticism had erupted just before the Durga Puja festival when large numbers of flex banners featuring ministers’ faces were installed across the state using government funds. Despite that earlier backlash, the same pattern has now reappeared, drawing fresh condemnation and sparking debate over the use of public money for political publicity.

Notably, this time the controversy has emerged over the display of faulty flex banners showing Mata Tripureswari’s idol in an inappropriate manner. Tourism Minister Sushanta Chowdhury stated that the flexes were not displayed by the Tourism Department, alleging that it might be a conspiracy by opposition leaders to malign the government. However, Udaipur MLA Abhishek Debray contradicted this claim, telling local media yesterday that the faulty flex banners were displayed by the Tourism Department. He also said that he had spoken directly to Minister Sushanta Chowdhury, who assured him that the flexes would be removed immediately. And accordingly the faulty flexes were removed today and displayed new flexes again.

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