Agartala, December 17: Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Deb on Monday made a controversial statement by stating that communists and Pakistani influence are driving the ‘mob lynching’ culture in India. He was of the opinion that lynch mobs are not part of indigenous Indian culture.

Expressing his opinion, the Tripura CM stated that ‘mob lynching’ is an ‘international conspiracy’ and likened it to the way Congress has taken up the Rafale fighter plane issue. Biplab Deb at it Again: 'Rearing Ducks Will Raise Oxygen Levels in Water Bodies'; List of 'Absurd' Statements by Tripura CM.

Stating that he has seen mob lynching on the internet in Pakistan, he said, as reported by the Hindustan Times, “Where did mob lynching start? I have seen on a Pakistan-based website that it began there.”

Taking a dig at the communists, Deb said, “India follows the culture of Atithi Devo Bhava, and mob lynching never happened in India. Where a mob kills a person out of anger, that is done by Maoists. That is an outside practice. It is a Communist practice.”

The Tripura CM also demanded an apology from Congress president Rahul Gandhi for making ‘false’ accusations on the Union government on Rafale deal.

Deb said, “The Supreme Court has given its clarification (on the Rafale deal) and still Rahul Gandhi finds fault… I see an international conspiracy in the entire episode. The nation has no benefit (in questioning the Rafale deal) so why is Gandhi speaking ill about the nation, when that’s the job of Pakistan?”

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 17, 2018 11:51 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).