Agartala, July 13: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPIM) in Tripura staged a protest rally in Agartala, condemning the alleged widespread violence carried out by the Trinamool Congress (TMC) during the recent Panchayat elections in West Bengal.
The rally, which commenced from the CPIM district office at Paradise Chowmhuni, traversed the streets of the capital city.
Pabitra Kar, a senior CPIM leader and former Minister of Tripura, expressed concern over the lack of law and order in TMC-ruled Bengal.
He said that at least 46 individuals lost their lives during the Panchayat elections, setting a record for the highest number of deaths in any Panchayat election in India’s history.
Kar also accused TMC goons of perpetrating acts of arson and causing injuries to a significant number of opposition supporters, including women.
Manik Sarkar, former Chief Minister and politburo member of CPIM, alleged that opposition election and counting agents were denied entry to polling stations and counting halls. Despite these violations, opposition candidates won in several places; however, their certificates were either destroyed or snatched by supporters of the ruling party.
Sarkar further accused the police and state election commission of failing to maintain neutrality and claimed that they aided the goons affiliated with Mamata Banerjee’s party.
Previously, CPIM had accused the ruling TMC in Bengal, with the support of the State Election Commission, of subverting democracy during the Panchayat polls.
They claimed that Left and Congress candidates, along with their families, faced threats and attacks, while ballot boxes were destroyed, and ballot papers were seized by TMC goons.
In a joint effort, the Left Front, Congress, and the Indian Secular Front (ISF) also organized a rally in Kolkata on Thursday to protest against the violence witnessed during the recently held Panchayat polls in West Bengal.
