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Agartala, March 6
Two statues of communist icon Vladimir Lenin were brought down in South Tripura, the police said today, as the CPM and its arch-rival in Bengal, the Trinamool Congress, blamed the BJP for the incidents.
EDIT: Violence in Tripura
The statues were pulled down just days after the Left was defeated in Assembly polls by the BJP and its ally IPFT, which together won a two-third majority in the House in a state where the CPM was in power for 25 years.
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A 5-ft high fibre glass statue of Lenin was toppled at Belonia yesterday, while a smaller figure was razed at Sabroom two days ago, district SP Monchak Ipper said.
Tripura CM-designate Biplab Deb has urged people to maintain peace and said anybody indulging in violence would be punished. Home Minister Rajnath Singh spoke to state Governor Tathagatha Roy and the DGP, asking them to ensure peace till a new government was installed, an official said in New Delhi.
The demolition at Belonia evoked a sharp reaction from TMC chief Mamata Banerjee, who blamed the BJP and the RSS for the incidents. Tripura CPM district secretary Tapas Datta alleged that the statue, unveiled by the party’s Politburo member and ex- general secretary Prakash Karat a few months ago, was razed by BJP workers yesterday in Belonia. “After pulling down the statue, slogans of ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ were raised,” Datta said.
Ipper said the driver of the JCB machine allegedly used to bring down the Lenin figure at Belonia was arrested and a notice sent to its owner, he said.
Prohibitory orders were clamped on several areas of West Tripura district, including Srinagar, Radhapur, Mohanpur, following post-poll violence. The CPM accused the BJP and the IPFT of unleashing an “unprecedented reign of terror” in the state after the poll results were announced on March 3.
Yechury alleged in Kolkata that 514 party activists have been assaulted, 1,539 houses of activists attacked and 196 houses set ablaze in the last few days.
‘Periyar’ statue damaged in TN
Hours after BJP leader H Raja indicated that statues of social reformer and founder of Dravidian movement EV Ramasamy ‘Periyar’ too would be pulled down — after Lenin’s statues were razed in Tripura — two men allegedly vandalised a ‘Periyar’ statue at an MC office in Tamil Nadu’s Vellore. The duo, identified as Muthuraman and Francis, has been arrested. While Muthuraman is suspected to be a BJP worker, Francis is believed to be a CPI activist. — Agencies
What one democratically elected government can do another democratically elected government can undo. And vice versa.—Tathagata Roy, Tripura Governor
The tweet by Governor Tathagata Roy is unfortunate... This shows how constitutional posts are being undermined.—Sitaram Yechury, CPM General Secretary
We condemn all kinds of violence. But I want to make it clear that statues of foreign leaders are not required in India. We have no place for them. — Hansraj Ahir, MOS
Lenin was, in a way, a terrorist because of the number of people he killed in Russia... And (you) want statue of such a person erected in our country?— Subramanian Swamy, SeniorBJP leader
While one party may win and another lose an election, it doesn’t mean either can indulge in vandalism. Lenin is considered one of the tallest leaders of the world. We should have that respect.—D Raja, senior CPI Leader
If you (BJP) think that because you have come to power in a state (Tripura), you will destroy statues of Marx, Lenin or Gandhiji, we will not accept it.—Mamata Banerjee, West Bengal CM
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