How the Left was demolished, again, in Tripura

NEW DELHI: The Left was demolished + in Tripura on Saturday, electorally, and some 48 hours later, literally.

À la Baghdad 2016, a bunch of people with a bulldozer in tow, illegally razed a statue of Lenin in a public square in Tripura's Belonia, a video released by ANI earlier today showed.

TimesofIndia.com couldn't independently verify the video that shows a crowd of people, many wearing saffron shirts and shouting "Bharat mata ki jai", using a bulldozer to upend the statue of the Communist revolutionary hero from its pedestal.

This, amid complaints received by the Tripura police yesterday of post-poll violence from various parts of the state since Sunday, and despite the BJP warning its supporters of "stern" action if they indulged in "post-poll violence". Union minister Rajnath Singh called the TRipura governor this morning to discuss the law and order situation in the state.



On Saturday, the incumbent Left government in Tripura was routed by the right-wing BJP in Assembly elections. The CPM, which had been running the state for as long as 25 years, lost to a party that in the previous state election won zero seats and less than a 2 per cent vote share there.

The CPM alleged that supporters and activists of the BJP-Indigenous People's Front of Tripura alliance were terrorizing its workers and burning party offices since the announcement of poll results on Saturday.

CPM office secretary Haripada Das said over 240 people were injured in attacks on party offices, offices of Left trade unions and homes of prominent leaders in the last 48 hours.


BJP leader Subal Bhowmick said the situation is being closely monitored by the party and no one would be spared if they were found creating tension in the state.

He alleged that the CPM activists, too, "assaulted" 49 of its party supporters, 17 of whom had to be hospitalized.