The Left Parties on Thursday announced a national protest to be held on July 24, to highlight the increasing incidents of political violence in West Bengal and Tripura.
“A daylight murder of democracy is taking place in the states of West Bengal and Tripura. Human rights and political freedom have come under severe strain,” the CPI(M) said in a statement. The protest is against the BJP-IPFT government in Tripura and the Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal.
In Tripura, the CPI(M) said four of their cadres have been murdered since the Assembly elections. “At least 1,000 Left activists, including 100 women, have suffered injuries. Around 750 offices of the CPI(M) and Left parties have either been burnt, attacked or captured. Close to 200 offices of the Left mass organisations have been attacked and nearly 150 have been forcibly occupied. 2,100 houses of Left sympathisers have been ransacked and looted,” the CPI(M) said. The party also claimed that 500 Left activists had to shift their homes in the face of the attacks and were now living in party offices.
The CPI(M) alleged that it was facing a similar onslaught in West Bengal too. “Since June 2016, 31 CPI(M) members and supporters were killed by the TMC goons. Another move resorted to was to forcibly capture the Panchayat Samitis and Gram Panchayats and municipal bodies where the Left Front had a majority. Thousands of people had to leave their homes due to the threats and attacks,” the CPI(M) said.
The CPI (M) alleged that the TMC-led administration was sheltering the accused in murder cases. In connection with the recent Panchayat elections, 11 members of Left parties have been murdered, it said.
“The techniques adopted by the TMC counting agents are unheard of. During counting, goons removed ballot papers stamped for Left Front candidates and replaced the same quantum of ballot papers with TMC stamp,” the CPI(M) said.
