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Tripura political violence: Central forces to be deployed ahead of polls
According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, there has been a steady rise in political violence after a dip in 2019
About 100 companies of central paramilitary forces will be deployed in Tripura’s sensitive areas amid fears of an escalation in political violence before the assembly polls to the 60-member state assembly due in February-March.
State chief electoral officer Kiran Gitte said the companies arrived in two batches this month and that police and Tripura State Rifles personnel will also be deployed in addition to the central forces.
“We have identified places where they can be pre-poll political violence and the forces will be deployed there as part of area domination exercise,” he said. He added a special campaign “Mission Zero Violence” has been started to ensure free and fair polls.
According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, there has been a steady rise in political violence after a dip in 2019, a year after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ended the Communist Party of India (Marxist) or CPI(M)’s over two-decade rule.
In 2021, Tripura reported the highest cases of political violence (64) among the northeastern states in which 136 people were injured. In 2020, 22 political clashes were reported leaving 78 people injured. In 2019, there were 20 such cases in which 62 people were injured.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) data shows 370 cases of violence were reported during the 2018 assembly polls.
A police officer estimated nearly 700 cases of political violence in the state in the last five years.
“ We got cases of political violence ahead of polls but the situation is under control. Adequate police and security forces have been arranged for the Assembly polls,” said the officer.
The Opposition CPI(M) said at least 24 of its leaders have been killed and over 500 injured in Tripura since the BJP-led alliance came to power in 2018. “There is no rule of law here since 2018. Many of our party leaders and activists were attacked. Our party offices have been ransacked,” said CPI(M) state secretary Jitendra Chaudhury.
Congress leader Sudip Roy Barman blamed the BJP for a reign of terror and lawlessness. “We have highlighted the political situation before the ECI and demanded a peaceful environment for elections.”
State Trinamool Congress chief Pijush Kanti Biswas alleged inaction in dealing with political violence. “We asked the ECI to deploy additional security forces so that people could vote.”
BJP spokesperson Nabendu Bhattacharya blamed the CPI M) for the culture of political violence and claimed many of their workers have also been injured despite being in power. “Such violence was prevalent in Bengal and Kerala during the reign of CPI (M).”
A delegation of Opposition parties met chief election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, who is in Tripura, and asked him to deploy central forces to deal with political violence. Kumar said no violence will be tolerated and that strict instructions have been issued to the authorities to curb the violence.
Kumar, who on Thursday met representatives of political parties, said officials will be answerable if norms are violated while promising a level playing field.
