“THE CPI(M) has decided to build people’s unity from booth level to get rid of ongoing suffocating atmosphere prevalent in the state since March 2018. The Party would carry on its struggle against all types of onslaughts, injustice, fascistic activities and evil designs of Hindutva forces led by the ruling BJP by mobilising all secular, democratic-minded people of the state,” said Jitendra Chowdhury, CPI(M) Tripura state secretary, while briefing a press conference on December 6, a day after the state committee meeting of the Party.   

A MANUFACTURED VERDICT

With regard to the recent ‘urban local body’ elections in the state, Jitendra Chaudhury said, “the entire election was a farcical event and the so-called verdict of the election is nothing but a manufactured verdict.”

He further said that this election outcome was a collective product of the complicity of the ruling party leaders working in the government, section of top-level police officers, and the state election commission(SEC). On the poll day, the police forces, civil administration and the SEC were kept immobilised to let the BJP miscreants a free hand to rig the elections.

Almost half of the 81.54 per cent vote cast, as declared by the SEC, is nothing but false voting by impersonating genuine voters. Even the dead voted in these elections, he said. Though the prime minister did not have time to comment on various important issues including the yearlong farmers' movement, he had ample time to release PMAY fund for Tripura beneficiaries with much fanfare in the midst of these elections, grossly flouting the model code of conduct(MCC) that was in force in the state, said Jitendra Chaudhury. 

Chaudhury congratulated the electors who voted in favour of CPI(M) and Left parties defying fascistic attacks, threats and intimidation let loose by ruling BJP miscreants. He also thanked the ground-level security forces and the electoral staff who earnestly tried to protect the sanctity of this democratic exercise but failed.

Jitendra Chaudhury criticised the decision of the state government to give a further two years extension of service to M L Dey, State Election Commissioner and posting of DGP of Tripura as special residential commissioner at Tripura Bhavan, New Delhi and termed these as ‘rewards’ for their ‘services’ rendered in favour of the BJP in these elections.

Jitender Chaudhary further commented that the ruling BJP is aware of its alienation from the masses who got disgusted with 45 months rule of non-performance, anti-people measures, burdening the people with unbearable taxations, dearth of food and rising joblessness, and above all, deception with the glittering promises made in the ‘vision document’ during assembly election in 2018.  This alienation from the masses turned them desperate to even violate the directives of the state high court and supreme court.

Referring to the present terrible law and order situation in the state, Jitendra Chaudhury informed, in the month of November last, there were 13 murders, 12 unnatural deaths, 23 suicides, eight kidnaps and incidents of rape and torture on women - 12. Parallel to these crime figures, the cultivation of Hemp plants is growing in the state to such an extent that it ridicules the so-called slogan of the chief minister to make the state drug free. The BJP home minister is reported to be proud of these appalling crime records in this tiny state like Tripura, Chaudhury quipped and added that this record is the cumulative reflection of distress and economic crisis of the society.  

CPI(M) state secretary informed that a massive demonstration of peasants, agricultural workers and Jhumias in Agartala city would be held in the last part of December on the issue of proper procurement of paddy.