Former Tripura CM Manik Sarkar, CPI(M) leaders attacked, hold BJP responsible

Tripura, May 11: Manik Sarkar, Opposition leader of Tripura and former Chief Minister was attacked with stones in Tripura.

He along with CPI (M) MLAs and leaders at Shantirbazar, South Tripura allegedly was attacked with stones pelted by the BJP supporters on Monday

A delegation of CPI (M) MLA and leaders went to shantirbazar to visit the houses of CPI (M) supporter, who was brutally attacked and their houses were ransacked by the BJP supporters on 5th May after they observed Karl Marx’s birthday.

Party alleged that the police forces were found silently standing during the incident.

BJP MP from Tripura tweeted and said that the attack on the leader of opposition in the state is unfortunate.

This is not the first time that such incidents of violence have taken place in Tripura.

Later, speaking to reporters at the CPI(M) state party office in Agartala Tripura, Manik Sarkar alleged that a series of attacks have been carried out by BJP-backed goons under the instructions of the state leadership.

The BJP state leadership provokes the miscreants to carry out attacks on opposition party leaders. The way we are being targeted is unacceptable,” Sarkar said.

Sarkar has said that if his blood and life helps to restore peace, prosperity, democracy, and law and order in the state, he would not feel sad but rather welcome the attack on him. “But still I demand peace and democracy. This has to be stopped and it cannot continue this way,” the veteran leader told reporters.


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Describing the incident, Sarkar said, “When we reached Santirbazar, we saw a group of people standing on both sides of the road raising slogans to ‘go back and holding black flags. The police officers requested us to come out of the vehicle and we started walking to reach the house of our supporters. The Santirbazar police station officer-in-charge requested us to turn back as we could not drive further due to the law and order situation. We later decided to turn back as the police requested and not proceed further. But suddenly, the angry mob started pelting stones, bricks, sticks, eggs, and water bottles at us. We have not seen any higher police official come to the spot even though we have written a letter to the director-general of police (DGP) informing him about the tour plan,” Sarkar said.

Terming the state’s current scenario as ‘Jungle Raj’, the former chief minister urged people to start a movement against the misrule in the state led by the saffron party.

“Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb had said that no violence has taken place but now what we have seen is that there is no rule of law but ‘Jungle Raj’,” Sarkar said.

We believe that a section of people from his party is trying to instigate the violence in the state. After the failure in recent elections across the country, the BJP intensified its attacks out of fear,” the former chief minister said.

However, the deputy opposition leader Badal Choudhury sustained minor injuries along with others.

On the issue, Nirupam Datta, Santirbazar sub-divisional police officer, told The Wire, “A team of opposition MLAs including former chief minister Manik Sarkar went to meet a worker of their party in Santirbazar today. Suddenly people gathered when Sarkar reached the spot and raised slogans of ‘Go Back’. They were agitating seeking the money which they had deposited in the Rose Valley chit fund. While returning from the worker’s house, empty plastic water bottles were pelted on the MLAs. However, no one was injured and we rescued them safely. No FIRs were lodged in this regard.”

Earlier in 2019, during an assembly session of the Tripura Legislative assembly, chief minister Deb said that his government would sell all the properties of the chit fund companies to give refunds to fraud victims. Deb said that a total of 83 cases were registered after BJP formed a government in the state.