Agartala (Tripura): Two CPIM top guns -- MLA Bhanu Lal Saha and ex-MP from East Tripura constituency Jitendra Chowdhury -- were on Saturday questioned in separate police stations in connection with cases filed against their "controversial" and "instigating" social media posts.
Both leaders are said to have cooperated during the police proceedings initiated against them and were of the similar view that the ruling party was against the free of speech by the opposition.
Chowdhury told the media that the whole episode of FIRs and complaints is a part of BJP’s political vendetta.
"People belonging to all walks of life are under attack. Doctors, nurses, journalists, you name one. Each and every section of society is under attack. The way politically motivated hooliganism has started targeting people, the existence of democratic values in the state is under question. I only urged people to put up resistance, prevent attackers from entering their houses and damaging their property. I see no crime in this," Chowdhury said.
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On the other hand, lawmaker Bhanu Lal Saha launched a scathing attack on the ruling BJP and said it had proved its involvement in the unabated attacks on the opposition party workers ever since the new government was formed.
"There are three ruling parties in the state --BJP, IPFT and TIPRA Motha. In my Facebook post, I did not mention the name of any political party. But, the reaction to my post came from the BJP only. It signified that they were involved in the incidents of attacks and intimidation going on across the state", Saha said.
Saha was speaking to reporters on his way back from the East Agartala Womens' Police station where he was summoned. According to him, cases were filed in several police stations across the state and he would try to visit the police stations if his health permitted.
"Since the last three years, the opposition party workers have been attacked repeatedly by the ruling party workers. Through my social media posts, I have urged people to resist the evil powers by using their household equipment as weapons. In our constitution, there is a special clause for self-defence. As the police are not hearing us anymore, our people are framed under fabricated charges, we can't keep faith in the law enforcement system anymore", Saha said.
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Earlier, Left Front convenor Bijan Dhar, who led the CPIM's state unit for many years, was summoned by the police. Dhar, along with his lawyers, appeared at the Amtali police station.
A few days ago, when a series of attacks were launched against certain CPIM leaders and supporters at Badarghat assembly constituency, they took to social media and asked the Left supporters to unite and resist the perpetrators.
