Agartala: Opposition parties CPI-M and Congress on Thursday accused Tripura’s election machinery for failing to ensure a violence-free election.
The CPI-M leader and former legislator Ratan Das alleged that BJP miscreants carried out a deadly attack on an election rally of the Left Front (LF) in Jirania on Wednesday night.
The attack seriously injured CPIM leaders Ajay Das and Mano Ranjan Sarkar who have been undergoing treatment at Agartala Govt Medical College.
Das told reporters that CPM took out an election campaign squad in Jirania in the evening with the permission of police. But police did not come to escort the rally, which was, according to him, part of BJP’s strategy with the support of a section of police to trigger terror.
“The deadly attack was planned by armed BJP miscreants on CPIM workers. It has turned Election Commission’s “mission zero poll violence” into a farce,” Das said and demanded immediate arrest of those who attacked the rally.
Besides, after having such a large number of police deployed, Jirania police station did not send police during the procession, which demanded an investigation of the incident and take action against the miscreants, Das said adding, “Despite repeated appeal ECI has not yet been able to ensure conducive and terror-free environment to hold a free and fair election. Everyday there are attacks and criminal activities on the opposition supporters but no action.”
Congress president Birjit Sinha also condemned the terrorising activities of and inaction of police. He said, “Time and again we are bringing the illegal acts and violence of BJP to the notice of CEO and DGP but they didn’t do anything.”
The partisan role and patronising criminals of the ruling party against some police officers including Additional SP Sepahijala Randhir Debbarma, SDPO Rahul Das and OC of Bishalgarh police station, and OC of Dharmanagar police station has been brought to the notice of DGP and CEO several times but no action, Sinha said.
