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Agartala, March 14: Post-poll violence against Congress supporters continues in different parts of Tripura despite repeated appeals for restraint from the CPM leadership and chief minister Manik Sarkar.
Yesterday, a group of unruly CPM workers stormed the residence of Premtosh Debnath, a defeated Congress candidate who had contested from Sabroom town seat. The gang ransacked Debnath’s house.
Debnath was not present during the attack, as he had gone to meet relatives nearby. But his son Priyatosh, who is appearing for his high secondary examinations, was so traumatised that he had to take the exam from a sickbed today.
“Their main intention was to assault me but I escaped because I had gone out. In a pre-planned manner, the CPM workers organised a victory procession in the evening and stormed my house after darkness set in,” Debnath said.
Debnath also questioned whether the CPM leadership had lost command over their cadres. Although Agartala and its outskirts have remained relatively peaceful, reports of violence have been pouring in daily from the towns and blocks in the subdivisions.
In another violent incident, CPM leaders of Sabroom subdivision allegedly threatened Congress nagar panchyat member Nibha Basak De’s husband with dire consequences unless his wife joined the CPM.
“Nibha Basak De was forced to walk in the so-called victory procession, organised by the CPM last evening. We have six members in the Sabroom nagar panchayat whereas the CPM has five. If Nibha quits, we will lose control of the nagar panchayat,” said Debnath who is the chief of the Congress’s Sabroom subdivisional committee.
In the last nagar panchayat elections that were held in December 2010, the Congress won in Sabroom and Ambassa. “Both are under threat now because the CPM is trying to capture them both through the backdoor and its efforts have gained momentum after the Assembly poll results,” said PCC president Sudip Roy Barman.
He alleged the terror that was unleashed on Congress supporters after the poll results is continuing unabated.
“Yesterday, a group of CPM cadres attacked the house of Congress worker Sanatan Debnath in the Salema area under Dhalai district. Sanatan wasn’t home and the cadres tried to molest his wife Malati. But she resisted with a club in her hand. The miscreants fled threatening retaliation and the family was forced to leave home,” Barman said.
He said Salema police station had been informed of the incident but no action was taken.
“The CPM cadres have a free run because police in Tripura take no action unless forced by political leaders and parties. We have met DGP Sanjay Kumar Sinha and informed him of what is happening but nothing has come out of this despite his assurances,” Barman said.
He added that the PCC would take up the issue with the Union home ministry.
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