People's Democracy

CPI(M) Attacks Dubious Role Of Congress In Tripura

THE CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury has charged the Congress party of placing its own political interests above nation’s unity and integrity while going for an electoral alliance with the notorious terrorist outfit National Liberation Front of Tripura’s political wing, INPT in Tripura. The people of Tripura, he said, are going to give a befitting reply to the dubious Congress-INPT alliance in the forthcoming polls.

Sitaram was addressing a press conference on January 22 at AKG Bhavan in New Delhi. He blasted the Vajpayee government for its complete non-action in dealing with the extremist menace in Tripura. “Though it is entirely the job of the central government to deal with terrorism emanating from neghbouring countries, the Vajpayee government did not do a single thing”, he charged.

Sitaram said that a delegation of central CPI(M) leaders met the Election Commission on January 21 and demanded increased deployment of central forces in the state so that terrorist activities do not escalate further before the polls. He detailed the gruesome manner in which CPI(M) cadres were being killed by the NLFT extremists.

On January 14, two CPI(M) cadres, Chandramani Debbarma and Ramesh Debbarma, were kidnapped from village Champlai in Khowai sub-division, west  Tripura.  The police discovered the bodies of these two hostages  on January 19. This discovery revealed the inhuman torture inflicted upon the hostages before their death.  The eyes of both had been gouged out.  The bodies bore innumerable marks of hacking with sharp weapons alongside bullet marks.  The ears were stapled and their heads were shaved before killing them.  Besides, the name of the associate extremist organisation, "BNCT" was cut into their backs with sharp weapons. 

Answering a question, Sitaram ruled out any alliance with Sukh Ram’s party in Himachal Pradesh. He expressed doubt about the viability of a third front in Himachal and said that the CPI(M) would contest 4 seats in the forthcoming polls, and in the rest of the seats its main objective would be to defeat the BJP.