The opposition CPI-M party state general secretary Jitendra Choudhury wrote to the State Election Commissioner on Saturday and alleged of threats and intimidations against a party candidate for ensuing civil poll by the BJP workers.
“At about 10.30 p.m. at night on 5th November 2021, the miscreants, all known BJP workers, suddenly broke into the house of party candidate Bhola Das of Ward No. 5, Belonia Municipal Council and extensively vandalized everything inside the house and looted the valuables. They were also boastfully shouting that if Bhola Das does not stand aside from the election, he would be annihilated,” Choudhury penned his letter to SEC.
He stated, “Noticing the frenzied mood of the intruders, CPI-M candidate Bhola Das with his other family members escaped through the backdoor of the house and could see from a hiding, how the miscreants were looting the house and posing threat to him.’
Meanwhile, Choudhury in his letter also complained, “Today, 6.11.2021, Manika Das, wife of Bhola Das, an Anganwadi Worker of “Maa Mohini Anganwadi Centre’ was summoned to the Anganwadi centre where she got frightened to see all those who raided her house last night. They forcefully made her sign a paper wherein it was written that she voluntarily resigned from the work as “Anganwadi Worker’.”
Expressing concern over the incident Choudhury said, “Now having no scope to live in his own house, Bhola Das has taken refuge to the house of his relatives. This is the consequence of ignoring the threats given by the same gang of miscreants who raided the his house on 29th October 2021 and brick-batted in the house, cut down the house fence to put pressure on Sri Das to withdraw from the fray.”
He alleged, “This is not the only incident of attacks on the opposition candidate. Threats and intimidations of dire consequences are going on against most of the opposition candidates in Belonia, Agartala, Khowai, Dharmanagar etc. urban body areas.”
Choudhury however questioned the free and fair poll as assured by the state election commissioner and said, “Is this the manner of your ‘free, fair and peaceful’ election? Does Bhola Das deserve such a material loss and mental agony only for his ‘fault’ of being an Opposition candidate? Don’t you think, the aggressive trend of being elected without contest by the ruling party using state power is imminent danger to the democracy?”
