Bengal: Left Front Holds Solidarity Rally Against Post-Poll Violence in Tripura

Kolkata: The Left Front in West Bengal held a solidarity march on Friday, accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of “waging terror attacks” on the Opposition and the Left after the recent Tripura Assembly elections. Speakers at the rally also criticised the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government of West Bengal for “suppressing” the voices of the Opposition in the “style of the BJP.”

"A suffocating atmosphere has been created in Tripura. In attacks after the announcement of poll results, three persons were killed. Many are under treatment. There have been over 600 attacks. Many party offices were burnt down. An overall climate of terror has been created," Bengal Left Front chairman Biman Bose said at the end of a solidarity rally in Kolkata.

Read Also: Violence Returns to Tripura After Polls; Left Activists Attacked, Houses Vandalised

Since the announcement of the election results in Tripura on March 2, the Opposition has been under attack. Both the BJP's vote share and seats have declined compared with five years ago. Taking advantage of the division in Opposition votes, the BJP seized power. But attacks on the Opposition, especially Left Front activists and supporters, continue across the state.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) or CPI(M) politburo had called for nationwide protests against this. In Kolkata, too, on Thursday, the Left's protest rally saw thousands rallying in solidarity against ‘BJP attacks’ in Tripura.

Just before the rally, Bose said: "Innocent people are getting affected. Criminals are brutally attacking many common people. We protest against it. This march is a march to stand by Tripura."

Several Left Front leaders participated in Thursday’s rally to condemn BJP, as also the TMC government's ‘tyranny’ in West Bengal. The rallyists also questioned Opposition MLA Naushad Siddiqui’s imprisonment, and also raised questions of why the Opposition was repeatedly called by the police to “stop this “political programme.

On the strike called by government employees and teachers on March 10, Basu said: " The Left Front has already supported the strike called by state government employees over various demands, including outstanding DA. The state government cannot announce a break in the term of office. The TMC government is trying to intimidate. However, the strike of government workers and teachers will be successful.”

Recall that the Tripura Left Front had issued a statement on March 7 and boycotted the swearing-in ceremony on March 8. In this context, CPI(M) Tripura secretary Jitendra Chowdhury had said: "In view of the continuous attacks since March 2, thousands of people, including women and children, have fled their homes and taken refuge in the forests and outside the state."

"During all of these incidents, the police acted as silent spectators and refused to register FIRs," he added.

Since the declaration of the Tripura Assembly election results, about 668 incidents of violence have been reported across the state so far, according to the Left Front. Assembly elections were held in Tripura on February 16 and the BJP won the majority. Since then, there have been allegations of attacks on workers of Opposition political parties, including the Left.

The CPI(M) alleged that at least three people were killed and over 100 injured in violence after the declaration of results in the state. Many properties were looted, and several houses were destroyed or damaged in the violence.