The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement:
The Tripura State Committee of the CPI(M) has been collecting funds from the people for relief work in flood-affected Kerala. There has been a good response from the public.
However, on August 27, in three places – Maharajganj Bazar, Agartala, Khowai Town and Belonia Town – BJP workers physically stopped CPI(M) leaders and activists from collecting funds. Senior leaders of the Party and elected representatives like Badal Chowdhury, MLA, Sudhan Das, MLA, Basudeb Majumder, former MLA were among those who were prevented by BJP men in the presence of the police.
In Khowai Town, the collection team led by Padma Debbarma, Secretary and Nirmal Biswas, MLA were not only stopped from collecting funds but also physically assaulted.
These attacks and anti-democratic stance of the ruling party is typical of the situation that is prevailing in Tripura ever since the BJP government came into office. Even collection of money for humanitarian relief is subjected to attack.
The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) strongly condemns these anti-democratic and anti-social activities. It demands that the state government take immediate steps to enable normal functioning by the opposition.