Tripura Minister's "Rinse Mouth With Cow Urine" Remark Sparks Row

A Tripura Minister's "rinse mouths with cow urine" before talking about democracy remark has invited howls of protest from the Opposition.

State Law Minister Ratan Lal Nath made the distasteful remarks on Sunday while critising on the two Opposition parties, CPI(M) and Congress, on their proposed seat adjustment for the upcoming state polls.

"The opposition parties should rinse their mouths with cow urine before talking about democracy. What they had done during their past rule in Tripura apart from violence and unrest," the BJP Minister told reporters.

The Minister was referring to Congress general secretary Dr Ajay Kumar's recent statement that all anti-BJP parties need to come under one platform to "revive democracy and the Constitution".

The Left and Congress leaders had earlier alleged that "democracy was under threat" in Tripura under the BJP-led government.

CPM general Secretary Jitendra Chaudhary sharply criticised Mr Nath's cow urine jibe and said it was natural for those who regularly "drink gaumutra (cow urine) to be irritated by the mention of gantantra (democracy)".

The BJP minister had also alleged that the opposition parties ran a government backed by goons during their rule in Tripura.

"What answer will they give to Parimal Sen, Nitai Debnath, Bishu Saha, Sadhan Debnath, Runu Biswas, Parimal Saha, Madhusudhan Saha, Debal Deb, Mantu Das and others. Innumerable, thousands and thousands," said Mr Nath, reeling off names of Congress supporters allegedly killed by CPM-backed goons during the Left Front rule.

Mr Nath was a Congress leader for 34 years before his switcheroo to the BJP in 2017.