Agartala: Hours after former chief minister and Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Manik Sarkar condemned chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb alleged failure to control the law and order situation in the state, a senior leader and CPI(M) MLA, Sudhan Das, was attacked allegedly by Bharatiya Janata Party workers in the Rajnagar area under the Belonia sub-division of Tripura’s South district.
On Sunday afternoon, Das came under attack while members of his party were at a street corner after completing a protest rally against the sudden rise of petroleum prices and essential commodities.
A press statement from the CPI(M) reads that as part of an all-India programme by five Left parties, the CPI(M) also organised a procession in Rajnagar under the Belonia sub-division to protest against the continuous rise in petrol prices.
“After holding a rally across Rajnagar, the CPI(M) leaders, workers and supporters gathered at a street corner. BJP workers started pelting brick-bats at CPI(M) leaders and workers. MLA Sudhan Das sustained serious injuries on his head and hands. Several other party leaders and activists were also injured,” the statement reads.
It also said that BJP miscreants also attacked the residence of the MLA and pelted firecrackers and bricks at his house, following which his wife Jaya Banerjee suffered a chest injury.
Later, both of them were referred to the Udaipur district hospital under Gomati district.
On the another hand, the ruling party leadership denied the CPI(M)’s allegations, saying the Left party was trying to defame the BJP.
Earlier on Sunday, former chief minister Manik Sarkar had slammed the current BJP-IPFT government in the state for failing to control the law and order situation. Sarkar said the CPI(M) would approach the prime minister and president of India as the chief minister and governor of Tripura have failed to control violence.
While speaking to reporters, Sarkar claimed that nine mob lynchings and custodial deaths took place between June 28, 2019 and June 25, 2021 in the state.
“In this mob lynching cases, few managed to escape while many were killed. Many custodial deaths in police and judicial custody occurred in different places, and are really matters of concern. It is strange that no reaction came from the state home minister (the portfolio is held by the chief minister) or from director general of police V.S. Yadav. This is not a good sign,” Sarkar said.
Sarkar served as the state’s chief minister for 20 years until 2018, when the BJP-IPFT alliance formed the government. After the government changed in Tripura, a series of violent incidents were reported across the state.
“What steps have been taken by the government so far? Has anyone been arrested? We want to draw the attention of the government towards these incidents and demand an inquiry into these incidents,” Sarkar said, adding that the law and order situation in the state has totally collapsed and the police is playing the role of silent spectators.
Sarkar said that his party had met the governor, Ramesh Kumar Bais, to talk about political attacks and during the meeting, the governor had assured CPI(M) leaders that no further attacks or violence would take place.
“On May 13 we were assured by the governor that no further attacks would take place but it has continued till today,” he said.
Referring Deb’s statement in the state assembly that the government would not tolerate political clashes or attacks on opposition parties, Sarkar claimed that after this statement 200 physical attacks took place across the state on opposition party workers and leaders. Nearly 152 incidents of ransom and looting occurred while 17 party offices of the CPI(M) were destroyed, he alleged.
“The ruling BJP is responsible for all these. And the police are being controlled by the ruling party leaders. They should stop it immediately or else people will not tolerate it,” the veteran leader said.
The BJP has refuted Sarkar’s allegations and accused the opposition party of hatching a conspiracy to mislead the people of the state.
Senior BJP MLA Ratan Chakraborty said, “People of Tripura know the character of the CPI(M). Their core philosophy is violence and intimidation. Now, when a pro-people government is trying to serve the people with its fullest possible capacity, the party that was rejected by the people for its misrule started conspiring against it. Their agenda is clear: malign the government by misleading people.”
“Today, the police have been clearly instructed to take action against perpetrators without considering his or her political affiliations. Countless instances are there where the ruling party supporters were arrested for indulging in anti-social activities,” said Chakraborty.