Vol. XLII No. 31 August 05, 2018
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CPI(M) Protest before Police Headquarters in Agartala

Rahul Sinha

In a surprising move the CPI(M) on July 30,  organized a mass dharna in front of the state police headquarters forcing the DGP to receive deputation from the party. Without any prior notice hundreds of CPI(M) workers assembled in front of the PHQ and started shouting slogans for defending democracy,  establishing rule of law, immediate halt of post poll violence, police action against the perpetrators of violence. After around one hour of demonstration the DGP,  A K Shukla agreed to receive the deputation.  A delegation led by CPI(M) Central Committee member (CCM) Gautam Das, another CCM Rama Das, state secretariat members Manik Dey,  Narayan Kar, district secretary Pabitra Kar, state committee member Pranab Debbbarma met the DGP. After the deputation Gautam Das said, we have demanded that the police must act in an impartial manner to defend the democratic rights of the people and the constitutional rights of the opposition.  In the last 25 years there was not a single incident of curbing the rights of the opposition. But in last 4 months this constitutional right of the opposition is being denied. We have given the DGP a compete list of attacks.  In many places we are not allowed to open our offices. In Teliamurra on July 29, the BJP obstructed an organizational meeting in the CPI(M) sub Division office. Permission to hold meetings and marches are being denied even after granting them. None have been arrested till date in connection with the murders of 4 of our comrades since the election or in the case of mass lynching of a hawker from outside the state. A reign of fascist like terror is the order of the day.  There is crisis of food and work, the volume of passengers in rail and public transport has reduced by 40 percent. Daily Desher   Katha (daily newspaper) is under severe attack. The agents and subscribers are being threatened. Such a situation cannot be allowed to continue in a democracy he said.