Development stalled under Left: Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday alleged that development has been stalled in Tripura under the communists, just as the traffic stops at red signal, and the State will progress when the 'reds' are ousted from power.

Addressing two election rallies here and at Shantirbazaar in South Tripura district, Modi said “the loot and bullying tactics” of ruling Left will no longer remain unchecked and a new BJP led Government would come up after the Sunday election.

“You have to stop before a red traffic signal. Even if you are in a hurry, you cannot go ahead. Similarly the red flags of the Left Front have stopped progress in Tripura. Time to change this and usher in good governance,” he said, adding “the Left will be difficult to find in Tripura after the results are declared”.

The Prime Minister said high level inquiry would be instituted to probe the killing of two journalists in the State last year and claimed they were targeted because they were exposing the misdeeds of the CPI(M)-led Government.

“Democratic ideals and the Left cannot go together. Journalists are being killed in Tripura, political murders are occurring. The communist Government is silent. On forming the Government in Tripura, we will fully investigate political murders and punish the guilty,” the Prime Minister said

A news channel reporter was killed on September 20 while covering an IPFT programme, while local vernacular daily journalist was shot dead inside the battalion headquarters of Tripura State Rifles on November 21. Modi said development would come to Tripura after the BJP led Government comes to power.

The BJP is contesting in 51 seats, while its alliance partner Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT) has fielded candidates in nine seats in the election to the 60-member Assembly. Launching a scathing attack on the Manik Sarkar Government, he said, “Poor people had to commit suicide because their hard earned money was looted by chit funds and some State Ministers were accused of being involved. Those who are involved in the chit fund scam would not go unpunished.”

The communists had destroyed democracy in the State and reduced it to a partisan society that needs to be changed, Modi said.

Alleging that the States revenue generation is poor, he said the Left Front also cannot spend the money what the Centre dispatches to them.

The State Government started work for Rs 650 crore two years after the Centre allocated Rs 988 crore under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, and as a result many important roads could not be built, Modi said. He also alleged that the records of implementation of MGNREGA showed that ponds were dug in areas bigger than entire Tripura and the State Government failed to geo-tag the ponds.

Modi said the communist government sheds crocodile tears for labourers but did not grant them minimum wages.

He said if voted to power, his party would provide minimum wages to the labourers as per central rates, and pay salary to State employees according to the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission.

Referring to the killing of 10 BJP workers in the past one year in the State, Modi said he hoped that the Election Commission would ensure a peaceful and fair Assembly election. A State Government official had been arrested on corruption charges but he was released because he was close to Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, the Prime Minister alleged.

On the Congress, he said the party and the CPI(M) are fighting in Tripura but are friends in Delhi.

Modi said, “The Congress had run its Governments with the support of the CPI(M) in Delhi. They fielded candidates in this election which is nothing but gimmick. Has any senior leader of the Congress come to the State for campaign?”