Tripura Government Under Fire For G20 Meet Dinner At Durbar Hall Of Ujjayanta Palace

The Tripura government has come under sharp criticism for using the Durbar Hall of the 122-year-old Ujjayanta Palace as the venue for a dinner hosted for G20 meeting delegates earlier this week.

Once the seat of the Tripura erstwhile Manikya Dynasty, Ujjayanta Palace was converted into a museum in 2013.

A dinner was hosted for the 75 delegates from different G20 nations, international organisations, NITI Aayog participating in the events at the Durbar Hall of Ujjayanta Palace on April 3.

Royal scion and Convenor of Tripura chapter of Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), MK Pragya Deb Burman, condemned the hosting of dinner at the venue, saying that the Durbar Hall was not merely a room but a historical and sacred place.

"Durbar Hall has been held dearly and has been respected for over 122 years in our state, by one and all. It was used for the Coronation of the Rulers of Tripura which were religious in nature and for important, official purposes and never entertainment or dining," she said.

The two-day event, which began on Monday, saw the participation of 150 delegates including delegates from 12 G-20 members, including China, the US, UK, Australia, and Brazil.

Deb Burman said that even when the Ujjayanta Palace was used as the state Assembly building in the past, prior to becoming the state multicultural museum in 2013, it was used for official purposes by the Speaker of the assembly.

"Unfortunately, the identity of the Durbar Hall is being tarnished now by the state government and this has shocked us. On the one hand, they speak of respecting our centuries old Indian culture, the visionary Maharajas and our rich historic past but on the other hand, parties are held, such hypocrisy must be known and be condemned by the people," the INTACH Convenor further said.

India holds the presidency of the G20 from December 1, 2012 to November 30, 2023.