Agartala: A three-member Congress parliamentary delegation led by the leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Choudhury on Monday met Tripura Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha demanding action against the BJP miscreants who had attacked Congress Bhawan here and party state president Birjit Sinha.
Choudhury expressed satisfaction over their meeting with the Chief Minister and told media, “Dr Saha has assured us that his government will take all efforts to end political violence in the state and requested our local leaders to keep in touch with him in case of any urgency.”
Besides, attacking Congress headquarter and Congress president, BJP miscreants have so far assaulted at least 15 of the party workers, five-party offices in different districts where a by-election was not held and the shops and houses of several of the party workers were vandalised and set on fire in last 24 hours, which completely a sign of lawlessness in the state, he alleged.
“We demanded Chief Minister to arrest all the culprits involved in the crimes immediately, government should take care of treatment of the injured Congress workers and pay due compensation to the victims whose houses, vehicles and business establishments were destroyed in post-result violence,” Choudhury pointed out.
He maintained that they were clear to Chief Minister that CM cannot be a leader of any party rather he is the representative of each and every people of Tripura and his government has to conduct an impartial enquiry into the series of attacks carried out on Congress leaders and workers including president Sinha and Congress candidate Sudip Roybarman who won the by-elections and ensure punishment to the criminals.
“Unfortunately, Tripura has been portrayed in the country as a boiling ground of political violence and all wrong reasons under BJP’s rule for last four years. The ruling party goons vandalised the opposition party offices, houses of the opposition supporters and workers and terrorised the situation even after winning three out of four assembly by-elections, which is a shame for an elected government – we reminded the CM,” Choudhury underlined.
Unless the violence is stopped and opposition would not give due space in the democratic process, Congress will not sit idle, he warned adding, “People of Tripura have displayed their choice in the by-election where Congress won a seat. The central BJP leaders are mobilising the mindless workers and rowdies to remain in power and earning a bad name for Tripura.”
Choudhury arrived here with Loksabha Deputy Leader Gourav Gogoai and Parliamentarian Dr Naseer Hossein. Before meeting with Chief Minister they visited Agartala Govt Medical College and a private hospital to see their injured workers and leaders.
Earlier, in a statement, AICC demanded an apology from the BJP President J P Nadda and an investigation by Home Minister Amit Shah into why these attacks occurred in Tripura after they won a maximum of the by-polls. If the state government is unable to handle law and order then President’s Rule will be necessary, the statement added.
Meanwhile, CPI (M) state secretary Jitendra Chowdhury alleged the results of the by-elections to the four assembly constituencies were not expected in the context of the situation prevailing in the state for the past 51 months. The BJP hooligans have attacked several party offices across the state and assaulted as many as 12 of their workers, he stated.
The BJP has used its ruling power. BJP has also used financial power, arm strength and administrative power in many ways. Due to the terror and attacks and threats created by the ruling party, many voters including the veterans could not able to cast their votes in many areas and has obstructed the voting of a significant number of real voters, Chowdhury added.
