Tag: Tripura violence

Bypoll Results: Shock Defeat for AAP in Sangrur; Violence Amidst BJP Sweep in Tripura

Of the three Lok Sabha and seven assembly seats up for grabs, the BJP emerged victorious in five, the Congress in two, and one seat each went to the AAP, YSRC and SAD(A).

New Delhi: While the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the ruling party in Punjab, was dealt a blow in the bypolls held in chief minister Bhagwant Mann’s former Lok Sabha constituency of Sangrur, in Delhi, it had something to cheer about as its candidate won from the Rajender Nagar seat in the capital.

Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) swept up the two remaining Lok Sabha seats as well as three seats in the Tripura assembly, shoring up its position in the Northeastern state.

Results of the bypolls in three Lok Sabha and seven assembly seats, spread across five states and Delhi and held on June 23, were announced on Sunday, June 26.

Counting of votes began at 8 am on Sunday morning and while results have been coming in from states, the Election Commission is yet to declare the official results.

Sangrur

The Sangrur seat was one of three parliamentary seats up for grabs in the current bypolls. The seat had been won by AAP leader Bhagwant Mann in 2019 and became vacant after he was elected chief minster of Punjab in the assembly elections earlier this year.

Despite Mann winning by a margin of over 1 lakh votes in 2019, the seat went to Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) candidate Simranjit Singh Mann, a hardline Sikh candidate who has not won an election since 1999, when he had won from Sangrur itself.

While Simranjit Mann won by a narrow margin of 5,822 votes, it nevertheless dealt a huge blow to the AAP, which had swept the assembly elections in the state only three months ago.

SAD (Amritsar) candidate Simranjit Singh Mann receiving his Certificate of Election after winning the bypolls to the Sangrur Lok Sabha seat on Sunday, June 26. Photo: PTI

Also read: Sangrur Bypoll: Setback For Ruling AAP As Sikh Hardliner Trumps Party Candidate

Rampur

The Rampur Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh was won by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Ghanshyam Lodhi, who secured a win over the Samajwadi Party’s (SP) Mohammad Asim Raja by a margin of over 42,000 votes.

The seat had been won by SP leader Mohammad Azam Khan in the 2019 parliamentary election and had been vacated when Khan was elected to the assembly.

Raja is considered a close companion of Khan’s, who was recently released from prison last month after having been in custody for 27 months for being named in around 88 cases dealing with land-grabbing and the like.

Also read: Who’s Afraid of Azam Khan? Of 87 FIRs Pending, 84 Filed Since Yogi Became UP CM

Azamgarh

In the third and final Lok Sabha seat, Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh, the SP was, once again, dealt a shock defeat at the hands of the BJP, with SP candidate Dharmendra Yadav narrowly losing to the BJP’s Dinesh Lal Yadav ‘Nirahua’’ by 8,679 votes.

Azamgarh would have been considered a foregone conclusion for the SP before the polls since party chief Akhilesh Yadav had won from there in 2019 before vacating the seat after being elected to the state assembly. 

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath credited the BJP’s “double-engine” government at the centre and the state with ensuring a “double victory” for the party in the polls. 

“The results of by-elections have given a signal about the outcome of the 2024 general elections,” the chief minister was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

Rajinder Nagar

Despite the party’s surprising loss on the Sangrur seat, the AAP managed to retain the Rajinder Nagar assembly constituency in Delhi as party candidate Durgesh Pathak managed to defeat the BJP’s Rajesh Bhatia by over 11,000 votes. 

Delhi chief minister and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal took to Twitter to thank the people of Delhi for the party’s win in the constituency, saying that, “The people defeated their (opposition’s) dirty politics and appreciated our good work”.

Four seats in Tripura

Of the four seats up for grabs in the Northeastern state, the ruling BJP managed to shore up its position by winning three of them.

Chief minister Manik Saha managed to win from Bardowali, securing 51.63% of all votes polled (17,181).

“The people who voted for me, I thank them. This is the victory of BJP workers. I expected the margin to be a bit more. However, the results prove the understanding between the CPI(M) and Congress. We will work accordingly in the future, but people did not take this understanding in a good way,” Saha told reporters.

The CPI(M) lost its stronghold of Jubarajnagar to the BJP by a margin of 4,572 votes with BJP candidate Malina Debnath securing 18,769 votes (51.83%) compared to the CPI(M)’s Shailendra Chandra Nath, who won 14,197 votes (39.2%).

In Surma, the BJP’s Swapna Das won by a margin of 4,583 votes, securing a total of 16,677 votes (42.34%). Her nearest rival was Baburam Satnami of TIPRA Motha, who got 12,094 votes (30.7%).

The TMC, which was looking to make inroads in the northeastern state, performed dismally with its candidates losing their deposits in all the seats.

Congress candidate Sudip Roy Barman won the Agartala seat by a margin of 3,163 votes. He secured 17,241 votes (43.46%) of the total votes polled.

Violence broke out during the day outside the Congress Bhavan in state capital Agartala as Congress and BJP supporters clashed shortly after the results in the state were declared. Sporadic violence was reported from other parts of the state as well.

At least 19 people, including Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief Birajit Sinha were injured in the clash.

The police even resorted to tear gas to disperse the crowd.

According to a report by the Indian Express, the Congress alleged that BJP workers stabbed an activist of the Congress party and pelted stones at its state headquarters.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi took to Twitter to express his disapproval, alleging that “BJP goons” were behind the attack.

Atmakuru

The ruling YSR Congress retained the Atmakuru assembly seat in Andhra Pradesh, with party candidate Mekapati Vikram Reddy winning by a whopping 82,888 votes.

Reddy is the younger brother of Mekapati Goutham Reddy, the former Andhra industries minister and the last MLA from Atmakuru, who passed away in February this year.

He is also the son of Mekapati Rajmohan Reddy, a four-time Lok Sabha MP from Nellore.

Reddy secured 1,02,241 votes compared to his rival, the BJP’s G. Bharat Kumar Yadav, who managed to win only 19,353 votes.

Mandar

Congress candidate Shilpi Neha Tirkey won from Jharkhand’s Mandar seat, defeating BJP’s Gangotri Kujur by margin of 23,517 votes.

‘Don’t Harass People’: SC Slams Tripura Police for Sending Notices Despite Restraining Order

The matter is related to social media posts made in the aftermath of alleged communal violence in Tripura in November last year.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on February 7, Monday slammed the Tripura Police for sending notices to people for social media posts over alleged communal violence in the state despite its interim restraining order.

A bench of Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and Surya Kant warned the counsel for the state that if Tripura Police does not refrain from harassing people, it will summon the home secretary and the concerned police officials.

The top court was hearing a plea filed by journalist Samiullah Shabbir Khan against a notice issued by Tripura Police seeking his appearance under Section 41A (notice of appearance before police officer) of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

“Inform the Superintendent of Police not to harass people like this. Why should somebody be required to run to the Supreme Court? What else is this if this is not harassment…,” the apex court told the state, reprimanding police for ignoring the Supreme Court’s previous restraining order.

“Otherwise, we will call SP to court and make him answerable if we find he’s trying to evade compliance by issuing notices to the people. We’ll ask everybody to appear before this court including your home secretary, once we have passed an order covering the issue you must show responsibility,” the bench observed.

Advocate Sharukh Alam said Khan – a “socially conscious student” – was summoned on Tuesday, and several other social media users were sent the notices over the issue, the Indian Express reported. He further said that the top court on January 10 had passed an interim order restraining the police from acting against the journalist’s tweets.

During the hearing, Alam also told the court that other social media users have been sent notices, and some of them have approached SC as well, the report said.

The matter is related to social media posts made in the aftermath of alleged communal violence in Tripura in November last year. Vandalism and arson incidents were reportedly triggered in the state after attacks on Hindu communities in Bangladesh.

The counsel for the Tripura government requested that the matter be adjourned for two weeks.

The apex court then said, “What do you mean hold over for two weeks when you have issued notice for today?”

The apex court directed Tripura Police not to take further steps with regard to a notice seeking appearance of Khan in the matter.

“Since the petitioner has already been protected by the previous order of this court dated January 10, 2022, no further steps shall be taken in pursuance of the notice under section 41 A, pending further orders. The counsel for the state of Tripura shall communicate both the copies of the present order and the previous order dated January 10, 2022 to the superintendent of police,” the bench said.

When the counsel for the state government said that he has no instructions in the matter, the bench said, “What else is all this if it is not harassment? It is a very innocuous statement to say you don’t have instructions here while you keep doing all this.”

As the hearing came to an end, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta appeared and assured the bench, “I will look into it and I will ensure that the sanctity of your lordships’ orders is ensured in letter and in spirit”.

Also read: Tripura Violence: UAPA Charges Levied Against Lawyers From Fact-Finding Team 

Backstory

The top court on January 10 had restrained Tripura Police from acting on its notice to Twitter Inc with regard to a journalist’s tweet about alleged communal violence in the state.

On November 17 last year, the top court had directed Tripura Police not to take any coercive action against the three civil society members, including a journalist, in connection with a first information report (FIR) lodged under the harsh Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) provisions against them for allegedly bringing facts through social media posts about targeted violence against the minority community in the state.

The three persons, who were part of a fact finding committee, have also challenged the constitutional validity of some provisions of the UAPA on the grounds that the definition of unlawful activities is “vague and wide”; moreover, the statute makes grant of bail to accused very difficult.

The FIR took note of a tweet of one of the members of the civil society which had stated that “Tripura is burning”.

Last year, the north-eastern state witnessed incidents of arson, looting and violence after reports emerged from Bangladesh that the Hindu minorities there had been attacked during Durga Puja’ on allegations of blasphemy.

(With inputs from PTI)

Tripura Violence: SC Agrees to Hear Plea Seeking Probe into ‘Communal Riots’

Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for petitioner Ethesham Hashmi, said that they want an independent probe into the recent communal riots and investigation into the alleged complicity of police in it.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear a plea of an advocate seeking an independent probe into the recent “communal riots” in Tripura and the alleged complicity and inaction of the state police in it.

A bench of Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and A.S. Bopanna issued notice to the Centre and the state government and sought their response within two weeks.

Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for petitioner Ethesham Hashmi, said that they want an independent probe into the recent communal riots and investigation into the alleged complicity of police in it”.

“There are several cases related to Tripura before the court. Few lawyers, who went on fact finding missions, were served with notices.  Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) charges were slapped on journalists. Police did not register a single FIR in the cases of violence. We want all this to be investigated by an independent panel monitored by the court,” Bhushan said.

Also read: Tripura Violence: SC Admits Plea to Quash FIR Against Journalists, Activists

The bench said it is issuing notice to the parties and listed the matter after two weeks. It directed that copy be served to the central agency and standing counsel for Tripura.

The north-eastern state recently witnessed incidents of arson, looting and violence after reports emerged from Bangladesh that Hindu minorities there had been attacked during Durga Puja’ on allegations of blasphemy.

The plea by Hashmi has alleged that police authorities were hand in glove with the perpetrators and not a single arrest was made with respect to the rioters, responsible for vandalism and arson.

It said that police and state authorities instead of attempting to stop the violence kept on claiming that there was no communal tension anywhere in Tripura and further denied reports of any religious structure being set ablaze.

On November 11, the top court heard a plea of two advocates and a journalist seeking quashing of a criminal case lodged under the harsh UAPA provisions against them for allegedly bringing facts through social media posts about the targeted violence against the minority community in Tripura.

These members of the civil society, who were part of a fact finding committee, have also challenged the Constitutional validity of some provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 on the grounds that the definition of unlawful activities is vague and wide and moreover, the statute makes grant of bail to accused very difficult.

(PTI)

In TMC’s National Brand-Building Spree, Varied Backgrounds of Its Inductees Have Unique Weight

Rarely has a regional party displayed national aspiration with such intense fervour as Mamata Banerjee’s party is showing now.

Kolkata: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s party, the Trinamool Congress’s aggressive drive to affect defections, mainly from the Congress, in Tripura, Goa and Meghalaya, is understandable.

Banking on its Bengal assembly election success, the TMC now wants to contest the assembly polls in those states with its fullest strength, in all assembly constituencies, aiming to become the chief opposition there, if not the ruling force.

But what explains the party’s induction events in New Delhi, involving leaders from various parties with as diverse a geographical and political background as Kirti Azad and Pawan Verma?

Azad and Verma represented Bihar in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on tickets of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Janata Dal (United), respectively.

What, indeed, explains the presence of former Haryana Congress unit chief Ashok Tanwar, or Delhi-based RTI activist Saket Gokhale, who joined sometime ago? Uttar Pradesh Congress leader Kamalapati Tripathi was also inducted in the party.

None of these new entrants (Gokhale joined earlier) are political heavyweights. Nor are they known to enjoy any significant mass base.

“The inductions may be from scattered geographical locations but these joinings, even if they appear somewhat haphazard, are happening as part of a brand-building exercise,” said a senior TMC leader who requested not to be identified. He described the idea as the brainchild of political strategist Prashant Kishor, who has been working with the TMC as a consultant since June 2019.

But what can the party gain from Mamata Banerjee meeting with figures as contrasting as poet-lyricist Javed Akhtar and BJP Rajya Sabha member Subramanian Swamy? Won’t hobnobbing with people from the saffron camp dent her secular credentials?

BJP leader Subramanian Swamy meets West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in New Delhi, Wednesday, Nov. 24, 2021. Photo: PTI

Speaking to The Wire, a TMC Lok Sabha MP ruled out the possibility of any such harm.

“The Congress and the NCP (Nationalist Congress Party) are in alliance with Shiv Sena, which everybody knows as a Hindutva force,” the MP said, adding, “Our plan is to have people with face value from as diverse sections as possible to express their agreement on the point that Mamata Banerjee is the best face to bet on for ending the Modi-Shah regime in 2024.”

“It is not the weight that these individual inductees carry that is of importance; the important point is the unity in thoughts – that Mamata Banerjee is the ablest leader to lead the battle against the BJP – despite their diverse backgrounds,” the MP summed up.

Political observers could not recall many examples from the past of a regional party making such aggressive bids for national expansion, except for, to some extent, the NCP and Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).

Both these parties, as a result of their efforts, managed to secure the status of a national party but neither have had remarkable influence beyond the states that are their strongholds – Maharashtra for the NCP and Uttar Pradesh for the BSP.

Also read: What Could TMC Gain by Taking in Babul Supriyo Who Failed To Deliver for BJP in Assembly Polls

Can Mamata Banerjee set a new precedent? 

As the TMC leader rightly pointed out, almost everyone who joined the TMC in recent times attributed their decision to Banerjee’s stature as the best person to lead the opposition against the Narendra Modi government, which has been ruling the country since 2014 with an overwhelming electoral mandate.

A BJP supporter in a Modi mask in the run up to the 2014 polls. Photo: Reuters/Amit Dave

“Of all the politicians I have met or worked with, Mamata Banerjee ranks with JP, Morarji Desai, Rajiv Gandhi, Chandrashekhar, and P.V. Narasimha Rao who meant what they said and said what they meant. In Indian politics that is a rare quality,” said BJP’s Subramanian Swamy.

Former Meghalaya chief minister Mukul Sangma who is the state’s leader of the opposition has said only Banerjee can fill the opposition vacuum.

“Congress has failed to play the role of the main opposition party in the country. Only Mamata Banerjee can give the right leadership,” he said.

“Today, a personality like her is needed in the country who can show it the right direction,” said Kirti Azad, three-time BJP MP-turned-Congress leader.

“Today, there is only one leader that can defeat BJP,” said Ashok Tanwar, former Haryana Congress unit chief who was known as having been close to Rahul Gandhi.

Gokhale described Banerjee as “ever fearless”, while others have cited her aggression, which they think is an essential component to take on the Modi-Shah-led BJP.

‘Personality cult’

A senior TMC leader who has knowledge of the party’s ‘branding exercise’ in consultation with Kishor’s organisation said that the chief aim is to highlight the ‘strong leader’ and ‘street-fighter’ image that Banerjee has always had and encash on her ‘aggressive politics’.

“If we are to encash on her aggression, we need to play aggressively. This is why proactive moves, without waiting for others’ responses, is key to this game,” the leader explained.

An employee of Kishor’s organisation, the Indian Political Action Committee, or the I-PAC, who spoke to The Wire on condition of anonymity, said that Kishor had devised a similar branding exercise for the BJP’s then prime ministerial candidate Modi ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee addresses an election campaign rally for the assembly polls, at Baneswar in Cooch Behar district, April 7, 2021. Photo: Bengal CMO via Twitter

“Later, after Kishor quit working with them, BJP copied his style and gained success in its expansion drive. But Kishor is a master in this art of branding and the battle of perceptions. We are very confident these initiatives will pay off,” the employee said.

According to columnist Ajay Gudavarthy, an associate professor at the Centre for Political Studies at New Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), a peculiar political situation in India in which it is difficult to differentiate between parties on the basis of their policies has allowed the TMC to exploit Mamata Banerjee’s ‘personality cult’, just the way the BJP succeeded doing it around Modi.

He said that the Congress, with neoliberal economic reforms in the 1990s, made the economic policies of almost all the parties look the same, while the BJP, by playing the Hindutva card, has now made the social policies of all the parties look all the same.

“More or less, all parties are following a policy of massive neoliberalism with transactional welfarism and no one is speaking a language outside the Hindu majoritarian articulation. This confuses the voters. Whom to vote for? Politics have become more uncertain. It is in this context that personalities of the leaders have become important and make all the difference. The TMC is trying to cash in on Banerjee’s reputation of being a strong-willed woman,” Gudavarthy said.

Gudavarthy thinks that only proposals of radical reforms with a welfare-centric approach can end the political stalemate where policies matter less than propaganda around personalities.

“Congress’s ‘Nyay’ was a good idea but it came late. In Delhi, Kejriwal’s victory despite a vicious communal campaign shows that welfare-centric approach and administrative delivery pays off. To my understanding, the opposition will have a better chance if they sit together and chalk out a really radical policy focused on welfare and effective delivery,” he said.

The TMC’s landmark victory in the 2021 assembly election, despite the BJP’s full-blooded effort to dethrone her, has also been widely attributed to the welfare schemes of her government.

Also read: Interview | ‘Our Welfare Schemes Will Ride Us Back to Power’: TMC’s Derek O’Brien

Mamata’s equations 

The TMC’s principal message was made loud and clear by the party chairperson herself on Wednesday evening. While answering a question from the media on not meeting Congress working president Sonia Gandhi during her three-day stay in the national capital, Banerjee said, “Why should we meet Sonia Gandhi every time?”

Her four-day schedule in the national capital also did not include any meetings with another key opposition face, Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo Arvind Kejriwal, with whom Banerjee otherwise has cordial relations. Nevertheless, AAP is another party that has embarked into a national expansion plan, targeting the states of Punjab, Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Goa, among others.

But word is doing the rounds in TMC circles that Banerjee is expected to meet Maharashtra chief minister and Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray and NCP chief Sharad Pawar around November 30-December 1 during her visit to Maharashtra. Her official programme is to meet industrialists for the state’s business summit, to which she has already invited Modi.

“Sharad Pawar had displayed national aspirations soon after launching the NCP in 1999 but Mamata Banerjee is going about it very systematically, as she has her eyes on Delhi. People from the Congress who are disillusioned with the way the party is functioning but cannot go to the BJP due to ideological reasons are seeing a home in the TMC. Being an offshoot of the Congress, the TMC is more akin to the Congress,” said columnist and political columnist Neerja Chowdhury.

She said that some kind of an opposition alliance is likely to form ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Before such a coalition formalises, every party is looking to strengthen its own position by contesting the assembly elections due in various states.

AAP National Convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal addresses media at Chandigarh Airport. Photo: PTI.

“If the Congress is not getting its act together, it is actually moving very slowly, there is no reason why former Congress members should not reclaim the Congress,”  said Chowdhury, adding that the possibility of different offshoots of the Congress, such as the NCP and the YSR Congress in Andhra Pradesh coming together in an alliance could not be ruled out.

If a senior TMC leader is to be believed, the party also aims to have political veterans such as Lal Krishna Advani of BJP and Kapil Sibal of Congress to say some words of praise for Banerjee even if they do not agree to leave their parties.

“We are targeting disenchanted leaders from both Congress and BJP. Those coming from the BJP should ideally say Modi must go and those from the Congress should say Congress can’t do it. The success rate has so far been high in the case of Congress because the party is caught in internal trouble. But we are hopeful of breaching the BJP’s defence as well,” a veteran TMC Lok Sabha MP said.

In West Bengal, the TMC has already poached a BJP Lok Sabha MP and seven MLAs, apart from leaders of various ranks, and are also trying to engineer a defection drive in the BJP’s Tripura unit.

As of now, the TMC is enjoying the successes it has achieved.  “Trinamool. Here’s looking at you,” the party’s Rajya Sabha leader Derek O’Brien tweeted on Wednesday night, adding an ‘angel face’ emoji to the text. The tweet came soon after the news of Sangma’s defection to the TMC along with 11 other MLAs broke.

The next morning, the editorial in the TMC’s mouthpiece, the Bengali daily Jago Bangla, was headlined ‘Aksham Congress’, or ‘the incapable Congress’.

Tripura Civic Body Elections Begin Amid Tension and Accusations of Violence

The run-up to the polls, which should have been a humdrum affair, became a cause célèbre after it was marred by violence, arrests, and sit-ins.

Agartala: Amid accusations of political violence, civic polls to Tripura’s 14 municipalities began on Thursday.

All India Trinamool Congress officials on Thursday claimed that a party worker was beaten up in ward number 5 in Agartala, the state capital. However, the police could not confirm any untoward incidents.

Communist Party of India (Marxist) state secretary Jiten Chaudhary also alleged that the ruling party was indulging in voter intimidation in south Tripura district and obstructing party workers from functioning freely.

The ruling Bhartiya Janata Party denied these allegations and its spokesperson Nabendu Bhattacharya on Thursday said, “Vote has begun in a celebratory spirit.”

The run-up to the polls, which should have been a humdrum affair, became a cause célèbre after it was marred by violence, arrests, sit-ins in far-away Delhi and a Supreme Court intervention asking officials to ensure peaceful polling. The electoral battle has the ruling BJP locked in battle with the Trinamool Congress which is foraying into the Northeast and elsewhere to establish itself as a national party, and with the CPI(M) which had been dethroned from power in this state some years ago, by the ruling BJP. The BJP, which has fielded candidates in all seats in Tripura civic elections, has already won 112 out of the total 334 seats uncontested in the Agartala Municipal Corporation (AMC) and 19 urban bodies.

Nevertheless, a three-way battle is expected to ensue for the remaining seats, given the high voltage drama witnessed in the run-up to the elections, which saw TMC sending its top leaders to Tripura and BJP fighting back politically.

For TMC, a strong footprint in Agartala and elsewhere in the northeastern state is essential as it hopes to topple BJP in Tripura’s state election in 2023 and also emerge as strong opposition to the BJP on a national scale.

TMC which has also forayed into Goa and Meghalaya is expected to be strengthened in the northeast with 12 Congress Members of Legislative Assembly joining it later on Thursday. A total of 785 contestants are in the fray for the remaining 222 seats after 36 candidates withdrew their nominations. Altogether there are 334 seats in the urban local bodies, including Agartala Municipal Corporation (51 wards), 13 Municipal Councils, and six Nagar Panchayats across the state.

Thirty-six candidates, including 15 candidates of the opposition CPI-M, four of Trinamool Congress (TMC), eight of Congress, two of the AIFB, and seven Independent candidates withdrew their nominations, an official said.

Ambassa Municipal Council, Jirania Nagar Panchayat, Mohanpur Municipal Council, Ranirbazar Municipal Council, Bishalgarh Municipal Council, Udaipur Municipal Council and Santirbazar Municipal Council have no opposition candidates.

A total of 5, 94,772 voters are eligible to cast their votes in the civic poll and the number of women voters outnumber male voters in urban areas.

TMC youth leader Saayoni Ghosh, who was arrested on charges of criminal intimidation and attempt to murder, was on Monday granted bail by the court of the additional chief judicial magistrate in West Tripura district.

The West Bengal Trinamool Youth Congress president was on Sunday arrested on charges of criminal intimidation, attempt to murder, and promotion of disharmony between groups after she raised the party’s ‘khela hobe’ (game will be played) slogan outside a meeting being addressed by the state chief minister Biplab Deb.

The TMC leadership claimed several party activists came under attack when they had gathered outside the police station, where Ghosh was taken after her arrest.

The state has been witnessing protests and violence in the run-up to the polls. CPI(M)’s Chaudhury alleging that the party’s candidates were forced to withdraw their nominations “due to terror let loose by goons” owing allegiance to the BJP.

Days ahead of municipal body elections in Tripura, two rebel MLAs of the ruling BJP in the state on Tuesday also alleged that the recent political violence in Tripura has tarnished the reputation of the party and Prime Minister Narendra Modi which might influence the saffron party’s poll prospects in the assembly elections in five states.

The MLAs, Sudip Roy Burman and Asish Saha, told a press conference here that the country’s apex court, Tripura High Court, and even Union home minister Amit Shah had to intervene in the recent political violence ahead of the civic polls.

A delegation of TMC MPs had also met Union home minister Amit Shah on Monday alleging police violence in Tripura after a sit-in in front of the home ministry.

(PTI)

BJP ‘Terrorising’ Opposition Parties in Tripura, CPI(M) Says in Application to Supreme Court

The Left party has sought to intervene in a plea filed by the TMC on the matter.

New Delhi: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Wednesday (November 24) approached the Supreme Court, saying that the Bharatiya Janata Party in Tripura is “terrorising” the opposition during the local body elections. The CPI(M) is seeking to intervene in a writ petition filed by Trinamool Congress leaders on the same matter.

The TMC has sought contempt action against the Tripura government and other officials for failing to curtail violent incidents against opposition parties in the run up to the municipal polls.

“”The ruling political party workers and their sympathisers have been attacking the CPI(M) workers and sympathisers. They are being subjected to inexplicable and cruel violence. Many of them have lost their lives and property including residential houses. The offices of the Party are also attacked,” the CPI(M)’s application reads, according to LiveLaw.

Opposition party supporters are also being targeted, the application continues:

“Information has been pouring from different poll bound ULBs and several wards of Agartala Municipal Council that large number of miscreants are intruding into those areas at the behest of ruling BJP and indulging into terrorizing the opposition supporters with dire consequences, with the threat not to move to the polling stations tomorrow on 25th November, 2021.”

Also read: Tripura: TMC Leader Saayoni Ghosh Arrested for ‘Criminal Conspiracy’ Gets Bail

Local body elections are being held in the state on Thursday (November 25). Earlier, the Supreme Court had refused the TMC’s plea to postpone these elections. A bench of Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and Vikram Nath said then, “Postponing election is a matter of last and extreme recourse. It is our considered view that short of postponing of elections, the apprehensions which have been expressed on behalf of the petitioners by the counsels can be suitably addressed by issuing peremptory directions to the State of Tripura, so as to ensure that the remaining phases of the Municipal elections take place in peaceful and orderly manner.”

“While we are not inclined to accede to the prayer for postponing of the elections, we are equally of the view that it is the duty of DGP and IGP and the home secretary of Tripura to assuage any misgiving about the fairness of the law enforcing machinery in supporting the electoral process,” the bench had continued.

On November 11, the top court had directed the Tripura government to ensure that no political party including the TMC is prevented from pursuing electoral rights in accordance with law and from campaigning in a peaceful and orderly manner. It had issued notice to the state government on the plea by TMC and its Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Dev seeking security for the party workers and representatives alleging wide scale violence against them.

The matter is set to be heard again on Thursday.

Mamata Banerjee Meets PM Modi, Raises BSF’s Territorial Jurisdiction and Tripura Violence

Speaking to the media after the meeting, the West Bengal chief minister said that she invited the prime minister to inaugurate the Global Business Summit which would be held in the state next year.

New Delhi: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and raised the issue of the Border Security Force (BSF)’s territorial jurisdiction in the state, demanding that it be withdrawn.

She also told Modi that the federal structure of the country should not be disturbed in any way.

Speaking to the media after the meeting, Banerjee said that she invited the prime minister to inaugurate the Global Business Summit which would be held in West Bengal next year.

The chief minister said that she raised the issue of violence in Tripura in which workers of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) were allegedly assaulted by BJP workers.

The home ministry’s notification extending the jurisdiction of the BSF in some border states has caused controversy. Both the West Bengal and Punjab assemblies have passed resolutions opposing the notification, a largely symbolic move that will not have any effect on the extension of the jurisdiction. While opposition parties have decried the move as a blow to the country’s federal structure, the Union government and the BSF have said that the extended jurisdiction will only aid state police forces in matters of law and order.

On the upcoming Uttar Pradesh polls, she said, “If [Samajwadi Party chief] Akhilesh [Yadav] needs our help, then we are ready to extend help.” Yadav had extended his support to Banerjee and the TMC during West Bengal’s assembly elections earlier this year. He has also been meeting several opposition party leaders to discuss alliances or seat-sharing arrangements.

Banerjee also clarified that she did not seek time with anyone other than the prime minister, saying she understood that leaders are busy with preparation for the Punjab polls. This was perhaps a reference to Banerjee ducking her previous habit of meeting Congress party president Sonia Gandhi whenever she is in Delhi. Several Congress leaders have joined the TMC, most recently Kirti Azad and Ashok Tanwar.

The TMC chief said that she will meet Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and NCP chief Sharad Pawar during her visit to Mumbai on November 30-December 1.

(With PTI inputs)

‘Will Raise Issues of BSF Jurisdiction, Tripura Violence’: Mamata Banerjee to Meet PM Modi

The Bengal chief minister is scheduled to visit New Delhi.

Kolkata: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said she will be meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi during her visit to Delhi, and raise issues concerning the enhancement of Border Security Force jurisdiction as well as “widespread violence” in Tripura.

Banerjee also said she may not join the dharna being staged by Trinamool Congress Members of Parliament in protest against the “attack on party workers” in Tripura, but will surely express solidarity with them.

Hitting out at Amit Shah, the TMC supremo said the union home minister “is yet to show courtesy” and meet the TMC MPs, who had been seeking an audience with him over the violence in Tripura.

“During my visit to Delhi, I will be meeting the prime minister. Apart from various state-related matters, I will be raising issues concerning the enhancement of BSF jurisdiction as well as Tripura violence,” she told reporters before leaving for Delhi.

Banerjee wondered why the human rights commission was “not taking a note” of the ongoing use of brute force in the northeastern state.

“The chief minister of Tripura (Biplab Deb) and his government are defying the Supreme Court’s directive. They have to reply to common people. I will appeal to the higher judiciary to act against his government as per law,” she said.

The Supreme Court has asked the Tripura government to ensure that no political party in the fray for the coming local body elections “is prevented from pursuing its electoral rights in accordance with the law, and from campaigning in a peaceful and orderly manner”.

(PTI)

SC to Hear TMC’s Contempt Plea Against Tripura Govt on Violent Incidents on Tuesday

A bench of Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and A.S. Bopanna said it will hear the plea on Tuesday after advocate Amar Dave, appearing for TMC, said that despite court’s November 11 order the situation in the state is worsening.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear on November 23 the Trinamool Congress Party’s (TMC) plea seeking contempt action against the Tripura government and others for failing to curtail violent incidents against opposition parties in the run up to the upcoming local body polls.

A bench of Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and A.S. Bopanna said it will hear the plea on Tuesday after advocate Amar Dave, appearing for TMC, said that despite court’s November 11 order the situation in the state is worsening.

“Yesterday, there was an incident. The situation in the state is very volatile and it has gone from bad to worse. The situation is worsening day by day,” he said.

“The plea for contempt action has been filed as there are repeated incidents of violence and false cases are being lodged against their members,” he added.

When the bench asked whether the petition has been filed, Dave said it is in the process of being filed and once it is numbered, he will provide it to the court.

“Ok, we will hear it on Tuesday. Once the petition is numbered, you provide the details to the court master,” the bench said.

Also Read: Tripura Violence: SC Admits Plea to Quash FIR Against Journalists, Activists

On November 11, the top court had directed the Tripura government to ensure that no political party including TMC, in the fray for local body polls of the state, is prevented from pursuing electoral rights in accordance with law and from campaigning in a peaceful and orderly manner.

The apex court had also directed the state government to make appropriate arrangements for ensuring law and order for unimpeded right of political participation in the municipal elections.

It had issued notice to the state government on the plea by TMC and its Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Dev seeking security for the party workers and representatives alleging wide scale violence against them.

“Since the election process has commenced, it is the bounden obligation of the respondents (Tripura government) to ensure that no political party which is in the fray is prevented from pursuing its electoral rights in accordance with law and from campaigning in a peaceful and orderly manner,” the top court had said.

Necessary arrangements shall be put in place and appropriate action taken by the Secretary to the Department of Home Affairs of the Government of Tripura as well as by the Director General of Police, together with the law enforcement machinery of the State to enforce and comply with this order, it had said.

The top court had said that in regard to the plea for individual security, the concerned Superintendents of Police who are impleaded as parties in the plea shall take a decision having regard to the threat perception with reference to each case and area and take necessary action for the maintenance and provision of security, as required.

“An affidavit shall be filed by the first respondent (Tripura government) explaining the steps being taken in pursuance of the present order and even otherwise to ensure that the process of election during the ensuing municipal elections in Tripura remains free and fair,” the bench said.

It had also asked the Director General of Police and the Home Secretary of the State to file a joint report of compliance, on affidavit, in pursuance of the directions of the court.

The top court posted the matter for further hearing on November 25.

The TMC party and Dev have sought directions to the state government and police officials to ensure the maintenance of security and safety in the areas where the elections are scheduled to be held in November 2021.

The plea has also sought direction for providing security to the members of TMC for the constitution of a neutral and fair SIT to probe into the incidents of violence meted with its workers.

The local body election process commenced on October 22 after the notification and polling will take place on November 25. Polling for a municipal corporation, thirteen Municipal Councils and six Nagar Panchayats in the Tripura will be held on November 25.

(PTI)

‘This Relief Is Limited,’ Says Scribe as SC Stops Tripura Police From Action Against 3 Under UAPA

The apex court bench also issued a notice to the Agartala police on the plea filed by two advocates and a journalist named in the FIR.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the Tripura police not to take any coercive action against three civil society members, including a journalist, in connection with an FIR lodged under harsh UAPA provisions against them.

Tripura police had brought the charges against advocates Mukesh of the People’s Union for Civil Liberties, and Ansarul Haq of the National Confederation of Human Rights Organisation, for participating in an independent fact-finding enquiry into the communal violence in which properties owned by Muslims and mosques were specifically attacked, allegedly by far-right Hindutva groups.

Police had charged journalist Shyam Meera Singh for merely tweeting “Tripura is burning” during the violence, his petition said.

Shortly after booking the three, the police had booked around 100 people under the UAPA for protesting, or even mentioning on social media, the recent communal violence.

A bench comprising Chief Justice N.V. Ramana and Justices A.S. Bopanna and Hima Kohli on Wednesday issued a notice to the Agartala police on the plea filed by the three against the FIR against them. Advocate Prashant Bhushan argued on behalf of the three.

“We welcome this relief – we were confident that what was had happened with us was completely illegal and with this order of the court there is hope that law and order can prevail in this country and its a setback to fascism and crackdowns by the state,” lawyer Ansarul Haque told The Wire.

Also watch | ‘Slapping UAPA Cases in Aftermath of Tripura Violence Shows Govt’s Incompetence’

The three members of the civil society have also challenged the constitutional validity of some provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 on the grounds that the definition of ‘unlawful activities’ is vague and wide, and moreover, the statute makes grant of bail to accused very difficult.

Advocate Mukesh said that the relief was welcomed by his family as well and added that the UAPA will have a chilling effect on citizens and activists.

“It says that if you come in the way of the state, action will be taken against you,” he told The Wire.

Tripura police also proceeded to arrest two woman journalists who had travelled to the state on assignment. They eventually received bail but have not left the state yet. Media organisations across the country have, in the meantime, urged the police in the state to withdraw the cases against the two.

Journalist Shyam Meera Singh highlighted the above fact and said that the relief is limited in scope.

“This relief is limited to this day and this hour, we don’t know how long this relief will last. From Siddique Kappan to the women journalists reporting in Tripura, we can see a pattern of intimidation and harassment by the state. In Tripura for example, they were given relief in one case and then framed in another, so this relief will really mean something substantial when we have a government that actually listens to the Supreme Court,” he told The Wire.