New Delhi, November 6: BJP MP Nishikant Dubey has called for reclaiming Noakhali, Chittagong Port and the Sylhet region, along with Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), alleging that these territories were forcibly handed over by former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.
Speaking on Friday, Dubey claimed that the three regions were historically part of the erstwhile Tripura Kingdom. He said India should seek to reclaim these territories along with PoK.
The BJP MP referred to the alleged differences between Tripura's then ruler Bir Bikram Singh and Nehru over negotiations concerning the kingdom's territories. Quoting the ruler, Dubey questioned how Noakhali could be handed over to Pakistan and how referendums could be held in Sylhet and Chittagong without the ruler's consent.
Dubey also said that Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel sent the Army and Tripura was integrated into India in October 1948 after Maharani Kanchan Prabha signed the Instrument of Accession.
Criticising Nehru, Dubey referred to the 1946 Noakhali violence. He claimed that around 10,000 Hindus were killed and alleged that Nehru was more concerned about including the Muslim League in his government than addressing the violence.
He further argued that the loss of Chittagong Port had obstructed the development of the Northeast, affecting the region's ability to utilise its mineral and gas resources and maintain connectivity.
Dubey also questioned the role of Baharul Islam, who conducted the Sylhet referendum. He alleged that the Congress party later appointed Islam to the Rajya Sabha and that he subsequently served as a High Court and Supreme Court judge.
Meanwhile, TIPRA Motha founder Pradyot Bikram Manikya Deb Barma also raised concerns over the territorial changes involving the erstwhile Tripura Kingdom during Partition. He claimed that large parts of the kingdom were ceded to East Pakistan without his grandmother's knowledge. He argued that access to the sea would have strengthened the strategic position of Tripura and the Northeast.
