News Analysis India

Tag: Tripura

  • After Sonia replaces state president, Congress deserters in Tripura float new party

    By Express News Service

    GUWAHATI: In BJP-ruled Tripura, a group of Congress deserters floated a new party, the Tripura Democratic Front (TDF).

    Eyeing the Assembly elections, due in early 2023, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) is focused on consolidating its base in the state by trying to poach leaders of other political parties.

    However, this section of Congress deserters – former state president Pijush Kanti Biswas, vice president Tapas Dey, general secretary Tajen Das, Youth Congress state president Pujan Biswas and several others – chose to float the TDF instead of joining the TMC.

    Two weeks ago, Congress president Sonia Gandhi had overhauled the party’s Tripura organisation by replacing Pijush Kanti Biswas, a well-known lawyer, with former Minister Birajit Sinha. Five others were appointed as working presidents.

    The decision left Biswas and leaders close to him enraged and they deserted the party. One of the newly-appointed working presidents, Purnita Chakma, too joined the TDF. Prof Manik Deb, another Congress working president, is likely to join the TDF soon.

    The TDF is likely to have an understanding with a conglomerate of tribal-based parties in the 2023 polls.

    Biswas, who had been associated with the Congress for over half a century, said the TDF was floated in the greater interest of the people and the state. He criticised the All India Congress Committee for allegedly failing to read the ground situation.

    “There is factionalism in the Congress but the party’s central leadership never tried to address the issue. We found it very difficult to work for the people,” he said.

    The seasoned politician Dey, who served the Congress for 60 years, said people who believe in democracy and want the state to progress in all spheres will soon join the TDF.

    Earlier, another batch of Congress leaders, led by Subal Bhowmik, had defected to the TMC. Many other Congress leaders are said to be in touch with the TMC.

    Led by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the TMC has been actively working in Tripura since July this year. Several MPs, ministers and leaders of the party visited the state over the past few months.

  • Day after praising Mamata, Tripura BJP MLA tonsures head, atones at Bengal temple for joining party

    Express News Service

    GUWAHATI: A Tripura BJP MLA on Tuesday tonsured his head at the famous Kalighat temple in Kolkata to atone for the “blunder” he made by joining the saffron party.

    The Surma MLA, Asish Das, said the “evil” BJP was “swallowing” the entire country. “I feel I had committed a crime by becoming a part of the BJP. It was a blunder that I made. I offered puja at Kalighat temple and tonsured my head to make amends,” Das told The New Indian Express.

    He continued: “I realised the evil BJP is swallowing the country. I prayed to God to seek the destruction of this evil power.”

    The farmer-turned-MLA said the people of Tripura had voted the BJP to power in 2018 seeking a change. He said people misunderstood the elected representatives and were blaming them for failing to fulfill their hopes and aspirations.

    “So, I thought I must expiate by offering a puja,” Das said.

    He said he was not bothered by any possible disciplinary action by the BJP, stating “I am neither a thief nor a goon. I am not corrupt either”.

    He said he has always protested against injustice and would never compromise it. He also said that he had no relation with the Trinamool Congress and he was not joining the party as speculated.

    On Monday, Das spoke very highly about TMC chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee but criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for “selling out most government properties to the private parties”.

    He claimed many people and organisations in the country wanted Mamata as the PM. “Mamata Banerjee is now a very popular political face in the country,” the MLA had said.

    The BJP said Das was at liberty to offer puja. “He is free to offer puja. We wish that good sense prevails on him,” Tripura BJP spokesperson Navendu Bhattacharjee said.

    He said the party would decide appropriately based on the various statements the MLA was giving to the media.

  • Do not fear contempt of court, work for people: Tripura CM Biplab Kumar Deb tells officials

    By ANI

    AGARTALA: Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb has sparked a controversy after he asked civil service officials and executives to work for the people without “worrying about contempt of court” as the government is not run by the court.

    Addressing the 26th biennial conference of the Tripura Civil Service Officers’ Association in Agartala on Friday, Deb said: “We are a ‘by the people government’ and not by the court government. The court is for the people and people are not for the court.”

    He also mentioned that despite repeated caution by his former Chief Secretary on the ground of contempt of court, his Cabinet took the decision for the ad hoc promotion of the government officials, which is a long-pending issue in the Supreme Court.

    “Even the Chief Secretary used to say this cannot happen. But I was firm that it is a Cabinet decision and has to happen. How long can I keep them sitting? It was injustice toward those who go for retirement without getting their due promotion. They feared it would be contempt of the court as if contempt of the court is like a tiger. I am a tiger, the person who runs the government and is the main person in the party in power and possesses the total power,” the CM said.

    Deb also quoted former Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee that the Court is for implementation of the laws which are made by the Legislature.

    He mentioned that the state’s previous Chief Secretary was disposed of his duties because he feared “contempt of court”.

    “I have been threatened that it will be contempt of the court. The previous Chief Secretary was telling me that he will be jailed under contempt of court and so I have given him farewell and let him go.”

    Reacting to the comments, Trinamool Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Sunday uploaded a video clip of Deb’s speech on Twitter, claiming that Deb mocked judiciary and democracy as well.

    “@BjpBiplab is a DISGRACE to the entire nation! He shamelessly mocks Democracy, MOCKS the JUDICIARY and seemingly gets away with it! Will the SUPREME COURT take cognizance of his comments that reflect such grave disrespect?” Banerjee tweeted on Sunday. 

  • Birajit Sinha is new Tripura Congress chief

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Birajit Sinha was Friday appointed the new president of the Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee by party chief Sonia Gandhi.

    According to a party statement, the Congress has also appointed five working presidents for the Tripura unit.

    They are Mohammed Billal Miah, Manik Deb, Sushanto Chakravarty, Purnita Chakma, and Pradeep Bardhan.

    “Congress president has appointed Birajit Sinha as the president of Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee with immediate effect. The party appreciates the contribution of outgoing acting president Pijush Kanti Biswas,” the statement said.

    Gandhi has also approved the constitution of the PCC with 10 vice presidents, 18 general secretaries and 29 secretaries.

    Former chief minister Samir Ranjan Barman, former state party president Gopal Roy and several ex-MLAs including Maharani Bibhu Kumari Devi have been included as members of the executive committee of the Tripura PCC.

  • Ruckus in Tripura Assembly over law and order situation, Opposition walks out

    By PTI

    AGARTALA: The opposition members staged a walkout in the Tripura Assembly on Friday after newly-elected Speaker Ratan Chakraborty rejected an adjournment motion moved by CPI(M) MLA Sudhan Das on the law and order situation in the state.

    Soon after Chakraborty was elected as the speaker unopposed, Das wanted to raise an adjournment motion on the “worsening” law and order situation in the state.

    Rejecting the motion, the speaker said, “Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb will make a statement on the overall law and order situation in the state after routine question hour. You can raise the issue after completion of the question hour.”

    The CPI(M) MLAs, led by leader of opposition Manik Sarkar, rushed to the Well of the House, raising slogans, demanding immediate discussion on the issue amid a “series of attacks” on the opposition leaders in the state.

    As the speaker stuck to his ruling, the opposition MLAs walked out of the House, claiming that they were not allowed to discuss an important issue.

    Later, speaking to the press, Sarkar declared that the opposition MLAs would not join the remaining days of the session, which will end on Monday, in protest against the speaker’s “adamant” behaviour.

    Sarkar alleged that total lawlessness was prevailing in the state with opposition leaders being attacked by the “BJP-backed goons”.

    “In my view, the state’s law and order situation appeared to be an important issue to be discussed in the assembly. Our member has rightly raised the issue but he was not allowed. There is no point in sitting in the House if we are not allowed to discuss important issues. That’s why we will boycott the entire session,” he said.

    Speaking in the House, the chief minister rubbished the opposition’s charge.

    “The state has recorded as many as 16,719 cases during the past three years as reported by the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB). The number of cases has reduced to 4,653 in the year 2020, while it was 6,078 in the year 2019. In the year 2018, the state recorded only 5,988 cases,” Deb said.

  • Tripura HC rejects TMC plea to hold rally on September 22

    By PTI

    AGARTALA: Tripura High Court on Tuesday rejected a Trinamool Congress plea to hold a rally here on September 22 which was slated to be addressed by All India Trinamool Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee and other senior party leaders.

    TMC leader Subal Bhowmik had moved the court on Monday seeking its permission to hold the mega rally after the state police on September 18 denied permission to the party to hold it.

    The matter had come up for hearing in the court of Justice Arindam Lodh on Monday and the court had issued a notice to the state government seeking to know its view for not giving permission for holding the rally.

    Advocate General Siddhartha Sankar Dey told the court on Tuesday that the district magistrate of Tripura West district has already imposed prohibitory order under Section 144 Cr PC in the sadar subdivision on September 21 till November 4 as part of the precautionary measure to prevent the third wave of the COVID pandemic.

    He said that since Durga puja is to be held from October 11 the administration does not want to allow any political rally or public gathering in Agartala in view of it.

    “Moreover, it has been observed that the city witnessed violence in the aftermath of political rallies or procession over the past two or three weeks. That’s why the prohibitory order has been clamped in the sadar subdivision,” he told the court.

    The court rejected TMC’s plea for allowing the rally after hearing both sides.

    Meanwhile, TMC leaders Kunal Ghosh, Subal Bhowmik and Prakash Das on Tuesday appeared before the officer-in-charge of the New Capital Complex police station in connection with a case relating to interference in the work of the police.

    In the course of the interrogation, Ghosh, who is the TMC spokesperson, fell sick and was shifted to a hospital.

    He is out of danger and recuperating, TMC sources said.

  • CPM’s Tripura unit secretary Goutam Das dies at 70 during COVID treatment

    By PTI

    AGARTALA: CPM’s Tripura unit secretary Goutam Das died at a private hospital in Kolkata on Thursday while undergoing treatment for COVID-19, party sources said. Das (70) is survived by wife Tapati Sen and daughter Swagata.

    He had tested positive for COVID-19 in August-end and was admitted to a private hospital in Agartala. As his condition deteriorated, he was shifted to a private hospital in Kolkata on September 6 where he died at 7:20 am.

    সিপিআইএম দলের রাজ্য সম্পাদক গৌতম দাশের প্রয়াণে আমি গভীরভাবে মর্মাহত।আমি প্রয়াতের বিদেহী আত্মার সদগতি কামনা করছি । ঈশ্বরের কাছে আমার প্রার্থণা শোকসন্তপ্ত পরিবার ও প্রিয়জনদের এই দুঃখ সহ্য করার শক্তি প্রদান করুন।ওঁম শান্তি… pic.twitter.com/AyoO7TRXo0
    — Biplab Kumar Deb (@BjpBiplab) September 16, 2021
    Das joined the party in 1968 and became Tripura state committee member in 1986. He was elected to the state secretariat in 1994 and became the party secretary in 2018. He became a member of CPM central committee at the 21st Party Congress in 2015.

    He was the editor of the party’s state unit mouthpiece ‘Daily Desher Katha’ from 1979 to 2015. He was also one of the founding members of the Agartala Press Club. The CPM’s Polit Buro expressed shock and grief over Das’ demise and conveyed condolences to his family members.

    Trinamool Congress’s West Bengal general secretary Kunal Ghosh visited the hospital in Kolkata where Das died.

    Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb also condoled the death of Das. “I am deeply mourned at demise of CPM state secretary Goutam Das. I pray for the departed soul to rest in peace. I pray to God to give strength to the bereaved family to endure the pain,” he tweeted.

  • Violent political behavior will not be tolerated: Tripura CM Biplab Kumar Deb warns CPI-M

    By PTI

    AGARTALA: Amidst continuing clashes in Tripura between the ruling BJP and the main opposition CPI-M, Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb Friday said that the Left party is trying to plunge the state into lawlessness and such “political behavior will not be tolerated by the people”.

    The clashes between the two rival parties had broken out in different parts of the northeastern state on Monday.

    Reports of fresh clashes between BJP and CPI-M are still coming in, officials said.

    “For past 3 years, Tripura has seen all round peace & prosperity with radical improvements in law & order situation. Political opposition led by CPM have (sic) been rattled by this. In their desperation to regain lost political ground, they attempted to plunge Tripura into lawlessness,” Deb tweeted.

    “I wish to remind the CPM that in our new Tripura such violent political behaviour will not be tolerated by its people. It will be my utmost endeavour to identify and punish each miscreant as per law. Peace is and will be a non-negotiable tenet of BJP-led government,” he said.

    Left Front convener and CPI-M central committee member Bijan Dhar said during the day that at least 26 party offices were attacked and vandalised since Thursday midnight.

    The houses of at least 100 Left party activists and leaders were set on fire in the state and at least 50 activists were injured.

    “An unprecedented terror was let lose by goons sheltered by the BJP. Democracy has been slaughtered and people’s voices are choked. We have no other alternative way to resist this terror except democratic movement “, he told reporters.

    The clashes started on Monday when former chief minister Manik Sarkar was allegedly prevented from proceeding to Dhanpur in Sepahijala district by BJP workers.

    Six activists of the saffron party and one from CPI-M were injured in the clashes.

    Trouble had erupted again on Wednesday at Udaipur town in Gomati district of Tripura after Democratic Youth Federation of India, CPI-M’s youth wing, took out a procession and a few activists from it allegedly attacked a BJP activist who was passing by, injuring him seriously.

    Police said a group of BJP activists who were present nearby, retaliated by attacking the DYFI procession.

    Police said three persons were injured but their political affiliation is yet to be known.

    A large contingent of police was deployed to disperse the mob and maintain peace after the Udaipur clash, officials said.

    Police said the BJP activist injured in the Udaipur clash is in a critical condition and is still under treatrment.

    He was shifted to G.B Pant hospital here.

    According to sources, CPI-M party offices in Agartala, Bishalgarh and Kathalia, were vandalized and set on fire after the Udaipur clash.

    Officials said a group of unidentified miscreants vandalized CPI(M)’s Udaipur party office, while a vehicle belonging to former Left Front Minister Ratan Bhowmick was set ablaze.

    Agriculture Minister Pranajit Singha Roy rushed to the spot soon after the clash and took stock of the situation.

    He had later told the media that DYFI had taken out the procession without seeking prior permission from police.

    When police tried to stop it, the DYFI activists indulged in violence and injured several people.

    BJP activist Mofiz Miah, who was passing by, was attacked and critically injured.

    Besides, a hotel was vandalized and some houses were ransacked, Singha Roy said.

    The government would take legal action against those involved in the violence, he added.

    Union Minister Pratima Bhowmik led a protest march at Dhanpur in Sonamura sub-division on Wednesday in protest against Monday’s violence. BJP sadar district unit too held a protest rally in the capital city of Agartala on Wednesday.

    The CPI (M) state party office at Melarmath was set on fire and a newspaper office near the main road was also vandalized.

  • CPI-M offices, workers come under attack in Tripura, Yechuri seeks PM Modi’s intervention

    Express News Service

    GUWAHATI: Over two dozen offices of the CPI-M were either dismantled or torched while two media houses vandalised allegedly by the workers of the ruling BJP in Tripura.

    The statewide attacks were carried out from Wednesday morning till the wee hours of Thursday. A number of vehicles, mostly two-wheelers, were also set ablaze. Four people were arrested in connection with the incidents.

    The CPI-M condemned the attacks and sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention. “We draw your attention to the outrageous violence let loose on the CPI-M and the Left Front in Tripura yesterday. In a pre-planned fashion, scores of offices of the CPI-M, including the state headquarters, were attacked by mobs of BJP men,” Yechuri wrote in a letter to Modi.

    He said the most brazen attack was on the state committee office in Agartala in which the assailants ransacked its ground and first floors, burnt two office cars, and broke the bust of Dasarath Deb, a “revered leader of the people of Tripura”.

    Yechuri also wrote that the houses of many party leaders and activists were attacked, ransacked, or set on fire. He highlighted the attack on “Daily Desharkatha”, a media house supported by CPI-M.

    He said the police, who were present at many of these venues, remained silent bystanders. In the case of the state committee office, he said some CRPF jawans were present in front of it but they were withdrawn an hour before the attack began.

    “The impunity with which the attackers operated shows the connivance of state government. These attacks took place because the ruling party has tried and failed to suppress the activities of the main Opposition in the state,” the CPI-M general secretary further wrote.

    He said it was evident from the attacks that the state government had grossly failed in discharging its constitutional responsibility of maintaining law and order.

    Tripura Left Front convener Bijan Dhar said the CPI-M’s state office, one district committee office, and 23 local committee offices were dismantled or torched. He said four injured party workers were admitted to a hospital.

    “According to reports we received, the houses of at least 50 people were damaged or torched. They used even a bulldozer while attacking our office. Everything happened under the nose of the police,” Dhar said.

    He said the party’s state leaders would meet the Governor and apprise him of everything. He alleged that such attacks had been going on since the BJP captured power in 2018.

    “The government has failed on all fronts. It failed to combat the pandemic and check rampant corruption. There are no democratic rights, law and order, and developmental activities. So, people who voted for the BJP have started rejecting it by spontaneously hitting the streets,” Dhar said.

    He said the BJP was angry to see the Left parties in people’s movement and trying to silence them by launching the attacks.

    “By resorting to violence, they want us and the people of Tripura to accept their undemocratic and fascist activities. But we are not ready to accept those,” Dhar added.

  • Schools, higher education institutions to reopen in Tripura from August 25

    By PTI

    AGARTALA: The Tripura government has decided to reopen schools for students of classes 6 to 12, along with other higher educational institutions, from Wednesday, officials said.

    The government has issued two separate notifications with detailed guidelines regarding the resumption of physical classes in both schools and other academic institutions.

    “In view of the decline in COVID test positivity rate in Tripura and considering the learning losses that have already occurred, the Department of Education (school), with the approval of State Disaster Management Authority, has decided to start physical classes for students of classes VI to XII from August 25,” said a notification issued on Monday by Director of School Education Chandni Chandran.

    According to the government notification, all schools will have to function in single or double shifts, depending on the space available in the classrooms.

    Authorities have been asked to ensure that alternate seats in schools stay unoccupied.

    Students and teachers have been asked to strictly adhere to COVID-19 norms.

    “As teachers of classes 5 and below do not have regular classes to take, they would be engaged in the Catch Up campaign of Nutun Disha program (an initiative of the state government aimed at making all students efficient and capable),” the notification said.

    A separate notification issued by Higher Education Director NC Sharma said colleges, institutes, and varsities (general, technical, and professional) would also be re-opened from Wednesday.

    Faculties have been instructed to arrange for extra classes, if necessary.

    If adequate space is not available or there is a shortage of teachers, institutes have been told to set up different time slots for batches, or any other measure they find appropriate.

    College hostels would, however, reopen only on September 1, maintaining all guidelines issued by the state government, the notification added.