Lenin's statue pulled down in Tripura, CPI(M) holds BJP responsible

Agencies
March 6, 2018

Agartala, Mar 6: A statue of communist icon Lenin, has been pulled down by some people with an excavator machine at Belonia in South Tripura district, the police said today, with the CPI(M) holding BJP workers responsible for it.

Days after the Left Front was voted out of power in the state, Tripura CPI(M) district secretary Tapas Datta said the five-feet-tall fibreglass statue, which was unveiled by the party's politburo member Prakash Karat a few months back, was pulled down allegedly by BJP workers yesterday at College Square in Belonia, about 110 kilometres from here.

"After pulling down the statue, 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' slogan was raised," Datta said.

Superintendent of Police of South Tripura district, Monchak Ipper said the driver of the JCB excavator machine was arrested and later released on bail.

The statue would be handed over to the authorities of Belonia Municipal Corporation today, the SP said.

Meanwhile, a prohibitory order was clamped in several areas of West Tripura district including - Srinagar, Lefunga, Mandai, Amtali, Radhapur, Arundhati Nagar, Jirania, Mohanpur and many more places following post-poll violence, District Magistrate Milind Ramteke said.

In the recently concluded Assembly elections, the BJP demolished the Left citadel in Tripura, winning a two-thirds majority with its ally the Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT).

The CPI(M) today accused the BJP and the IPFT of unleashing an "unprecedented reign of terror" throughout the state after the election results were announced on March 3.

CPI(M) state secretary Bijan Dhar claimed that 514 party activists were assaulted, 1,539 houses of the party activists were attacked and 196 houses set on fire since the announcement of results.

He also claimed that 134 CPI(M) offices were attacked and looted, 64 party offices were set on fire and at least 90 offices of different mass organisations had been occupied allegedly by BJP-IPFT supporters.

"I appeal to the state administration and the ruling parties to stop this violence. In a democratic system, change of government is usual, but violence in such grave form is not acceptable by the people," Dhar said.

The police today said they have received complaints of "post-poll violence" from various parts of the state since Sunday night.

Urging people to maintain peace, the BJP's state unit president, Biplab Deb, in a statement said nobody would be spared if they indulge in violence.

The BJPs' state vice president Subal Bhowmick, at a press conference yesterday, had said, "A section of unidentified BJP supporters, who have migrated from the CPI(M) were creating unrest in parts of the state. Anyone found involved in violence would be immediately expelled and legal action taken against them."

He alleged that CPI(M) activists had assaulted 49 BJP supporters, of whom 17 were hospitalised.

Comments

shaji
 - 
Tuesday, 6 Mar 2018

what else we can expect from this anti national and anti people bharat jalawo party.  Paarty workers are doing what was taught to them and paid for.   this party will ruin India in the near future having allowed bureacrates to loot banks and escape to abroad to share the money later on.   India is being ruled by unwise and illogic people.   Its shame that people trust them.

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News Network
December 21,2024

New Delhi: The Ministry of Law and Justice of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government has made an amendment to the Conduct of Election Rules, restricting public access to certain electoral documents that were previously available.

The original Rule 93(2)(a) of the 1961 Conduct of Election Rules stated, “all other papers relating to the election shall be open to public inspection.” However, following the amendment on Friday, the rule now reads, “all other papers as specified in these rules relating to the election shall be open to public inspection.”

Activists have raised concerns, claiming that the insertion of the phrase “as specified in these rules” limits access to various official documents created during elections to Parliament and Assemblies, which are not explicitly mentioned in the rules.

RTI activist Venkatesh Nayak pointed out that there are numerous documents, though not listed in the rules, that are generated by election officials such as Presiding Officers, Sector Officers (responsible for constituency vulnerability mapping), and those in charge of EVM movement and replacement of defective machines on polling day. These include reports from general, police, and expenditure observers, as well as Returning Officers and Chief Electoral Officers.

Nayak emphasized, “Access to these documents is crucial for ensuring the fairness of elections and the accuracy of results.”

The amendment comes shortly after the Punjab and Haryana High Court directed the Election Commission to provide video footage and documents related to votes cast at a polling station in the recent Haryana Assembly elections to lawyer Mehmood Pracha. Pracha has criticized the amendment, asserting that it will withhold essential information. “This is a reconfirmation of the Election Commission’s bias,” he said.

Nayak further stated, “This amendment undermines the principle of full transparency established by the Supreme Court in the Electoral Bonds case. The notification of this amendment on the very day Parliament was adjourned sine die has deprived MPs of the opportunity to challenge its necessity in real time.”

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