Agartala: The Tripura BJP on Monday issued a terse warning to all leaders and supporters over post-election violence, saying anyone found involved in such incidents would be immediately expelled and legal action would follow.
The CPM, which faced a crushing defeat in the Assembly election, the results for which announced on March 3, has accused the supporters of the BJP and its poll ally, the Indigenous People's Front of Tripura, of perpetrating largescale violence in the last 48 hours.
BJP vice-president Subal Bhowmik told reporters here, "A section of unidentified former CPM goons are posing as BJP supporters and creating unrest in parts of the state. We are closely monitoring such activities and have identified a few of them."
The BJP leader appealed to the party rank and file to maintain peace and warned that his party would immediately expel anybody found involved in post-poll violence. Action would follow against them in accordance with the law, he added.
Bhowmik alleged that "a few policemen, especially from the lower rungs" were working at the behest of the CPM. He said they would pay a "heavy price" after the new government takes oath of office.
CPM state secretary Bijan Dhar told reporters in the evening that 514 party leaders and supporters were injured in over 1,500 incidents of attacks on CPM party offices, offices of the Left trade unions and homes of prominent leaders. Nearly 196 houses of party supporters and 64 party offices were gutted in the last 48 hours apart from assault, lockdown of party offices and ransacking of leaders' homes. He claimed that victorious left MLAs were not safe either.
Section 144 CrPC has been imposed in 13 police station areas of West Tripura district for the next two days, district magistrate Milind Ramteke told a news conference late on Monday.
"There is apprehension of post-counting violence of a serious nature within the next few days which may lead to disruption of peace and law and order problems at various locations under West Tripura district," Ramteke said.
Rubbishing the allegations, Bhowmik said, "Not a single communist leader or supporter was attacked in the post-poll scenario in Tripura." Instead, he accused the CPM of assaulting 49 BJP supporters, 17 of whom were hospitalised.
Superintendent of police (control) Pradip De said four major cases of violence had been reported from different parts of the state since Sunday night. These include complaints of arson on two CPM party offices at Sidhai area in West Tripura district, 25km from here, and clashes between CPM and BJP supporters at Kadamtala in North Tripura district, 140km from here. Investigation is on but no one has been arrested.
