CPM accuses BJP-IPFT govt in Tripura of instigating post-poll violence

NEW DELHI: The CPM on Tuesday red flagged the sharp rise in post-poll violence against its cadres in Tripura. Alleging “murderous assault”of its cadres across the state, the CPM announced country-wide coordinated protests against the ruling BJP-IPFT government in Tripura. The party also submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while a party delegation, led by CPM MP Mohammed Salim, sought to meet Union home minister Rajnath Singh, to apprise him about the incidents of violence in Tripura.
Until Tuesday evening, the CPM alleged that there have been 520 cases of individual torture, 1544 instanes of houses attacked, 197 houses set on fire, 134 party office attacked, 64 incidents of CPM office being gutted down, and 208 instances of the CPM party office being captured. Speaking to TOI from Agartala, senior CPM politbureau member Gautam Das said, “On account of the SSB emans starting from Tuesday, we appealed to the political workers to ensure peace so that children may be able to take their exams. However, the sense of fear across Tripura is palpable.”

On Monday, alleged supporters of the BJP had used JCB trucks to mow down a statue of Russian communist revolutionary Vladimir Lenin installed in South Tripura’s Belonia district. Party functinaries said another statue of Lenin was also pulled down and broken at Sabroom. The political tussle was exacerbated by Tripura governor Tathagat Roy, who, in a tweet on Tuesday, appeared to have condoned the act of pulling down the statue of Lenin. In a tweet, he said, “What one democratically elected government can do another democratically elected government can undo. And vice versa.”

While the instances of violence triggered a war of words in New Delhi — BJP MP Subramaniam Swamy referred to Lenin as a “terrorist” who functioned as a dictator in Russia — the CPM took strong exception to the spate of violence in the northeast state. in a strongly worded statement on Tuesday, the Polit Bureau of the CPM condemned “the unleashing of unprecedented violence and arson by the RSS/BJP all across the state of Tripura in the aftermath of their victory in the recent assembly election.”

The statement alleged CPM) and Left Party offices and cadres were targetted with murderous assaults. “The destruction of the statue of Lenin, is symbolic of the rabid anti – communist, anti – democratic fascistic character of the RSS,” a statement by the party said.

A delegation of Left MPs also submitted a memorandum to PM today in Parliament detailing major incidents of such attacks. This memorandum said, “The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) wishes to bring to your notice that after the election results to the Legislative Assembly in Tripura are out, the goons of the BJP have unleashed a reign of terror and all-round attack on the members and supporters of the CPI(M), their houses, Party offices and mass organization offices throughout the state.”

The Left also sought the PM’s intervention to stop these attacks and violence and to maintain peace and normalcy in the state.