CPI(M) offices were vandalised in different locations in Tripura.
A statue of Lenin was razed in Tripura days after the BJP stunned the Left, which was in power in the state for the last 25 years. The Russian revolutionary's statue was in the heart of Belonia town in south Tripura, 90 km from capital Agartala. The Tripura police today said it has received four complaints of "post-poll" violence from various parts of the state since last night. The BJP won 43 of the state's 60 seats along with a regional partner Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) in the assembly elections. Tripura was considered the Left's strongest citadel, presided over by the CPM's Manik Sarkar, 69, who had been chief minister for 20 years and was seeking re-election for the fifth consecutive term.
Here are the updates on the clashes in Tripura:
CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury addresses the media:
- Violence in Tripura is a clear demonstration of RSS' fascist character
- If they want to destroy Lenin statues, I want to say the red flag will rise.
- This is the character of RSS
- Every probe indicts rss for communal hatred
- The polarisation leads to riots
JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav tweets: Demolishing d statue of Lenin in Tripura just after BJP into power is an attack on Indian Freedom Movement. Highly condemnable.Bhagat Singh & his Comrades inspired from Lenin while d B.J.P & his affiliated organisations, big ? Whatever being happened is very dangerous in d nation
CPI-M leader Haripada Das said the statue was set up a year ago in Belonia, South Tripura's district headquarters, around 90 km from Agartala.
Tripura Governor Tathagata Roy, in a tweet said: "What one democratically elected government can do another democratically elected government can undo. And vice versa."
Biplab Deb has been elected by party legislators as their leader in the state assembly and is expected to take oath as chief minister on Friday, March 9 at a grand ceremony likely to be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and where the BJP plans to showcase its many chief ministers from around the country.
SUCI protest against the bringing down of the Lenin statue in Tripura at 4.30 pm in Bangalore today.
Sunil Deodhar, the BJP's Tripura in-charge, to NDTV: We are against this intolerance of any kind and we don't support this... Those who did this are not party workers. They are common man (sic).
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing the BJP Parliamentary Party meeting today, called the BJP's win over the Left in Tripura a "victory of ideology" and said the party needs to work hard to maintain its winning electoral streak.
Section 144 imposed in several violence affected areas in Tripura: news agency ANI
Sitaram Yechuri to address the media at 2.30 today.
All CPM leaders attending the state conference will march from venue to Lenin statue in Kolkata at 4.30 pm.
Three people have been arrested over the last 48 hours in Tripura, for what the police has described, as "post-poll' violence. The police said on Monday that it had received four complaints of violence from various parts of the state since Sunday night.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh today spoke to the state governor and the DGP and asked them to ensure peace till a new government is installed, an official said.
Left party Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist) to hold protests in Kolkata this afternoon against the razing down of Lenin's statue in Tripura.
BJP does not ever practice culture of violence. In places like Tripura, Left parties have chosen to be silent about 11 BJP workers who were killed. Some of those who support Left parties are trying to foist these kind of debates that a statue is removed: Nalin Kohli of the BJP.
"The cases include arson at two CPI(M) offices in the Sidhai area in West Tripura district, 25 km from here, and clashes between CPI(M) and BJP supporters at Kadamtala in North Tripura district," Superintendent of Police (Control) Pradip De said.