The CPI(M) alleged on Tuesday that an elderly woman, who is the mother of a party leader, was a victim of pre-poll violence in Mohanpur, West Tripura district, at the hands of BJP supporters. The party sent a letter to the Election Commission of India (ECI) seeking intervention.
This incident occurred just before Chief Electoral Officer Puneet Agarwal stated in a media briefing that adequate security measures were in place to ensure a fair election. He also mentioned that the commission had not received any complaints of violations of the model code of conduct yet.
In a letter to Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, Tripura CPI(M) state secretary Jitendra Chaudhary detailed the attack on the elderly lady, Milan Bala Deb, who is the mother of the CPI(M) leader Raman Deb. The letter accused four individuals, alleged to be BJP workers, of attacking Raman Deb with a lethal weapon in front of his house.
The CPI(M) stated that an FIR was lodged by Raman Deb at the Sidhai Police Station, but the accused have not been arrested yet, reportedly due to their affiliation with the ruling BJP. The party urged the ECI to direct the police to arrest the accused and ensure they remain detained until the end of the current election.
The state CPI(M) authorities also highlighted a threat made by TIPRA Motha founder Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma towards opposition party workers. The post claimed that the attack on CPIM leaders’ family by BJP members in Mohanpur came within 24 hours of this threat.
The BJP spokesperson responded by stating that the police and Election Commission officials would handle the situation based on complaints and the law. The Tripura Chief Electoral Officer’s office acknowledged the social media post by CPI(M) and directed authorities to investigate the matter promptly.