AGARTALA – The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) on Sunday claimed that since the announcement of the February 16 assembly election results on March 2 which indicated that the BJP secured a majority, over 668 incidents of violence have taken place in Tripura.
Blaming the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) — which bagged 32 of the 60 Assembly seats in the polls, thereby returning to power for its second term in the northeastern state, the CPI-M said at least three persons were killed while over 100 injured in the episodes of violence.
Many properties and houses were destroyed/ damaged during the violence, the CPI-M claimed.
CPI-M’s Tripura secretary Jitendra Chowdhury, accompanied by former minister Tapan Chakraborty and Left Front convener Narayan Kar on Sunday met Chief Secretary J.K. Sinha and apprised him about the prevailing “violent situation” in Tripura.
“In view of the series of attacks since March 2, thousands of people, including women and children, fled from their homes. They took shelter in the jungle and outside the state,” Chowdhury, a CPI-M central committee member, told the media.
He said that the “BJP goons and party workers attacked people, burning down their houses and properties”.
“Police remained a silent spectator and refused to register FIRs. The Chief Secretary, quoting the Director General of Police, said that 238 people were arrested in connection with the violent incidents. Actually these 238 people were detained for a while and after some time were let off,” the Left leader said.
He said that in the February 16 assembly polls, over 61 per cent of people did not cast their votes in favour of the BJP, adding that the saffron party’s 11 per cent vote share declined compared to the 2018 assembly polls’ outcome.
The CPI-M leader said that a large number of vehicles, shops, business establishments, houses, rubber gardens, fish ponds and other properties belonging to opposition party supporters have been burnt down or destroyed during the past four days.
Meanwhile, caretaker Chief Minister Manik Saha accompanied by the police chief Amitabh Ranjan visited Sepahijala and Khowai districts.
The police officers and the administration have been instructed to take strict action against the law breakers.
