Cong accuses LF of promoting mafia activities

Agartala, June 12: Opposition Congress today accused the ruling Left Front in Tripura of corruption and promoting ''mafia activities'' in the state while holding CPI(M) responsible for deterioration of the law and order.

Addressing media persons here, leader of the Opposition Ratanlal Nath lambasted the communist party leaders for allegedly spreading canards against Union ministers Santosh Mohan Deb and Oscar Fernandes.

''Left front has now become a den of corruption and its leaders are collecting money through anti-social outfits and the CPI(M) leaders are even safe-guarding the criminals by providing lawyers in court,'' Mr Nath alleged, adding that despite repeated appeals from the Opposition bench, the government was reluctant to constitute an inquiry commission into mafia activities in the state.

Reacting to the national crime record bureau's latest report that level of insurgency in Tripura has declined, Mr Nath said, ''Despite a marginal decline in the insurgency, the law and order situation continues to be serious and there have been 463 murders, 511 rapes, 2,051 suicides and 1,213 incidents of dowry torture recorded in the state during past three years.'' Mr Nath, however, stated that CPM had deleted the names of 1.5 lakh genuine voters in 2005 and the intensive revision conducted at the behest of the Election Commission over the past year has only confirmed the position.

''Following our allegation, EC conducted an inquiry into the inclusion of fake voters in the electoral roll and has deleted 84,000 fake names, while another 70,000 voters have been identified as fake,'' Mr Nath added.

UNI