Agartala, Sep 28 (IANS) The Opposition Congress, the CPI-M, CPI and other Left parties have condemned the alleged attempt by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) supporters to obstruct the vehicle of former Chief Minister and veteran Left leader Manik Sarkar when he arrived at Kalibazar in West Tripura to inaugurate the DYFI Mohanpur subdivision conference.
In a statement on Sunday, the CPI-M state secretariat alleged that a group of BJP supporters gathered near the entrance of the party office at Kalibazar in Bamutia before Sarkar arrived around noon.
“As soon as Manik Sarkar’s vehicle reached the spot, the BJP workers tried in various ways to create obstruction,” the CPI-M alleged.
The Left party said that youth volunteers confronted the alleged troublemakers and ensured that Sarkar’s vehicle could enter the CPI-M office.
Sarkar subsequently inaugurated the DYFI conference by addressing the gathering and later left the venue, while the youth leaders and delegates continued with the programme peacefully, the CPI (M) said.
Sarkar was the Chief Minister of Tripura for 20 years between 1998 and 2018.
The CPI-M state secretariat strongly condemned what it described as the “undemocratic” behaviour of the BJP and demanded appropriate action against those allegedly involved in the incident.
The party alleged that the incident reflected what it called the “authoritarian intolerance” of the BJP towards political activities of opposition parties.
According to the CPI-M, the alleged obstruction was an attempt to disrupt a political programme of a senior Opposition leader.
The party also alleged that the BJP was trying to suppress the voice of opposition parties.
The CPI-M appealed to people who believe in democratic values to protest against what it termed the “undemocratic activities” of the BJP.
The BJP supporters also waved black flags at Sarkar.
Leader of Opposition (LoP) and CPI-M state Secretary Jitendra Choudhry, state unit of the CPI and senior Congress leader Sudip Roy Barman separately condemened the incident.
“It was a purposeful attempt to prevent the former Chief Minister from attending a party programme. The BJP leaders who had stopped him and staged protests will not be able to hide once the people hit the streets,” the LoP told the media.
“A jungle raj has been prevailing in the state under the governance of the BJP. There is no law and order in the state,” Roy Barman, a former Minister told the media.
A police official said that a strong contingent of police and CRPF personnel led by Mohanpur Sub Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Asish Das Gupta reached the spot after being alerted and escorted Sarkar safely to the local CPI-M office.
–IANS
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