Manik Sarkar

Agartala, Aug. 28: In what appears to be a prelude to a fresh purge in the CPM, Tripura chief minister and party politburo member Manik Sarkar lashed out at party leaders and workers accused of financial corruption and moral laxity, calling for their ouster from the party summarily.

?We have put up with enough from these undesirable elements who have been damaging the reputation and standing of our party with the common people and we are not going to tolerate them anymore,? Sarkar said. He was addressing a state convention of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI).

Sarkar said that in the seven years since he donned the mantle of chief minister in 1998, every endeavour was made to rid the party of ?mafia elements, corrupt people and those charged with moral turpitude and the effort will continue?.

?Our ideology and ideals will show you the path and whenever you find any of the colleagues indulging in illegal and immoral activities, throw them out summarily,? Sarkar said. He directed the DYFI leaders and cadres to highlight the achievements of the Left Front to the people and fight the ?baseless charges? being made by the Opposition against the government.

?Our relation with the UPA government at the Centre is not what it was at the beginning and we knew it all along; the effort is on to forge a viable third front to save the country from pro-rich UPA and communal NDA,? Sarkar said. He added that the Left Front would lend support to the UPA as long as it stuck to the common minimum programme (CMP). ?As soon as it deviates from the CMP we will not think twice before withdrawing support,? Sarkar said.

Sources in the CPM said this was a ?prelude to another purge? in the party. They said that along with former minister Ananta Paul, who had been dropped from the ministry for bigamy, a large number of party leaders and workers have been taken to task or ousted for moral turpitude.

This, however, had not made any major impact, they said. ?This has prompted the party leadership to take a tough line and the chief minister has only articulated the party?s views,? a source said.

?A senior leader of the rank of divisional committee secretary like Samir Chakraborty has been removed from his post and this only indicates the determination of the party to rid itself of elements indulging the mafia and anti-social elements,? a source said.

Preparations were on to launch the next purge programme after the elections to the Agartala Municipal Council and the nagar panchayats.