GUWAHATI: Post-poll violence continued in Tripura on Tuesday with another Lenin statue being reportedly vandalised in Sabroom town, even as the police were on the lookout for two persons who allegedly instigated a mob to pull down a similar statue at Belonia on Monday.
For the Monday incident, visuals of which went viral on social media, the police arrested the driver of the excavator that was used to raze the statue. He was later released on bail. The incident occurred when a group of people took out a march to celebrate the recent victory of the BJP in the state Assembly elections.
“We got the names of two persons. The driver said the duo had instigated the mob. We sent notices to them under relevant provisions of the law for appearance before the police. Investigation into the case is in progress,” Inspector General of Police, KV Sreejesh said.Narrating the incident, he said a group of people suddenly gathered at a town square, where except for the statue there was nothing to be protected, and carried out the act.
THE five-foot tall fibre glass statue of Lenin in Belonia, Tripura, had been unveiled by CPI-M politburo member Prakash Karat a few months ago.The incident triggered a political slugfest with both the BJP and the CPI(M) accusing each other of promoting violence.“Our people have not done this. Manik Sarkar is the caretaker chief minister and workers of his CPI-M are attacking our people across the state. No CPI-M worker has been attacked by the BJP workers. On the contrary, our people are admitted to hospitals,” BJP’s Sunil Deodhar said.
But equating the BJP with Adolf Hitler, CPI-M state secretary Bijan Dhar said, “They (BJP) are a party which follows Hitler and Mussolini. They want to wipe off Marxism and Leninism. A strategic ideology is behind the incident.”He alleged that over 100 CPI-M workers had so far suffered in the attacks perpetrated by the workers and supporters o fthe BJP and its coalition partner Indigenous People’s Front of Twipra (IPFT) following the declaration of election results.
The CPI-M also tweeted: “Attacks in #Tripura are now being coordinated in a centralised way by BJP-IPFT leadership.”In another tweet, it said, “Left got 45% vote. BJP-IPFT wants to use their newly acquired power to smash that support base thru physical attacks, torching of offices, intimidation & bullying.#StandByTripuraLeft”.
However, the BJP accused the CPI-M of using police personnel in Unakoti and Khowai districts.In a tweet that kicked up a controversy, Tripura Governor Tathagata Roy said: “What one democratically elected government can do another democratically elected government can undo. And vice-versa.”He denied having received any written communication from Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh following the incident as reported by a section of media.