Modi’s words fall on deaf ears as Tripura violence continues

A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi claimed the new Tripura BJP government is “for all those who voted for us and for all those who did not vote for us”, the Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led Left Front withdrew its candidate from the Charilam assembly constituency, accusing the BJP of unleashing “unprecedented amount of terror.”

Claiming "extremely terrible situation" in the tribal-dominated areas of Tripura, CPI(M) leader and MP for Tripura East Jitendra Choudhary told National Herald over the phone that BJP activists ransacked CPI(M) offices and terrorised Left front cadres.

“The situation is so bad that almost all 50 booths of the constituency have been captured by the BJP. Fearing for their life, Left cadres fled. Even the Left Front candidate had fled from the constituency,” he added.

Attacking the PM for his silence over sporadic violence that started after the astounding BJP victory in the state, Choudhary said while PM was preaching from the dais, his party men were targeting our cadres. “Actually, he did not say anything to bring normalcy. Whatever he said fell on deaf ears,” said Choudhary, while alleging that poll authorities too "remained silent."

CPI(M), accompanied by other Left parties has appealed to the Election Commission to postpone the election. Left Front convener Bijan Dhar was quoted as saying that details of specific instances of all attacks both on party offices, houses of party members and physical assaults on over 20 party leaders and members along with photographs and videos have been submitted before the poll authorities.

A CPI(M) delegation led by Politburo member MA Baby had met the Chief Election Commissioner Om Prakash Rawat and other two Election Commissioners in Delhi on Thursday and requested them to further postpone the election in Charilam till peace and normalcy was restored in the entire state.

Another delegation led by party's Central Committee member Gautam Das met CEO of Tripura Sriram Taranikanti and raised a similar demand.

Polling could not be held in Charilam along with the rest of Tripura on February 18, due to the death of the CPI(M) candidate.

"More than 11 permanent party offices and two district committee offices of CPI(M) and RSP (Revolutionary Socialist Party) were burnt down, many trade union offices forcibly occupied by BJP-IPFT workers in Charilam area and CPI(M) candidate Palash Debbarma fled from the area to save his life," Gautam Das told the media.

As per media reports, round 70 CPI(M) leaders’ houses were attacked and 20 party leaders physically assaulted by BJP-IPFT workers, whereas all 40 election booth offices of CPI(M) in Charilam were burnt down.

Das said several thousand Left Front members and workers had been forcibly evicted from Charilam segment.

BJP has nominated newly-appointed Deputy Chief Minister of Tripura, Jishnu Debbarman for Charilam assembly constituency. Debbarman, a member of Tripura’s royal family, is the saffron party’s main tribal face as most other tribal MLAs of the BJP-IPFT alliance belong to IPFT. CPI(M) has fielded Palash Debbarma. The polling in the Charilam assembly seat would be held on March 12.

With IANS inputs.