New Delhi: Opposition parties in Tripura are observing a 12-hour, dawn to dusk, strike today (July 14) in a protest against the alleged murder of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), or CPI (M), candidate for the upcoming Zilla Parishad elections in the state on August 8.
CPI (M) candidate from South Tripura Zilla Parishad, Badal Shil (49), was attacked allegedly by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) supporters at Rajnagar in South Tripura on Friday, July 12.
Shil was shifted to GBP Hospital in the state capital, Agartala, where he succumbed to injuries, said Tripura Left Front convener Narayan Kar, according to the Indian Express.
Since the announcement of local body polls, Kar alleged, several of the Left Front party leaders and members were attacked by the BJP.
According to The Times of India, Jitendra Chaudhary, CPI (M) secretary said, “When CPM leaders, workers and candidates reached Rajnagar colony HS school for filing nominations, a gang of armed BJP miscreants lying in wait, attacked them with sharp weapons.”
Chaudhary went on to add that several workers of his party were injured in the attack, including Shil who sustained a serious head injury. He appealed to people to extend support to the dawn-to-dusk strike.
Another Opposition party, the Congress, has also extended its support to the strike, according to the party’s working committee member Sudip Roy Barman. Meanwhile, BJP spokesperson Nabendu Bhattacharjee said his party would oppose the strike as it would disturb the normal situation in the state ahead of the panchayat elections.
