CPI(M) flays Congress for forging alliance with INPT in Tripura

Agartala, Feb 14 (UNI) The CPI(M) today lashed out at the Congress for forging an alliance with the INPT, allegedly the political outfit of the militants, in the February 23 Tripura Assembly election.

Addressing newspersons here, CPI(M) spokesperson Gautam Das said External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said here yesterday that the Congress has set an electoral alliance with the INPT just to bring back the misguided youths in mainstream.

The Congress-INPT alliance had also fought in past elections together but nothing had changed so far, Mr Das alleged and said the INPT leaders were ''abetting'' the ATTF militants and maintaining ''nexus'' with the NLFT.

The approach of the Congress was dangerous for the state, he said.

He, however, questioned Mr Mukherjee's claim that several Congress leaders had been assassinated by the extremists even though the party had been trying to bring misguided youths in mainstream, and asked how many Congress leaders fell to the bullets of the insurgents in Tripura.

More than thousand of CPI(M) leaders and workers had been killed by the militants in past years, but no Congress or INPT leader had been victimised so far, Mr Das pointed out.

He alleged that still the INPT was mobilising underground outfits for intimidating and snatching Electoral Photo ID Cards (EPIC) from the voters in interior locations of Longtari Valley, Kowhai, Taliamura, Ambassa and Amarpur sub-divisions.

The matter had already been informed to the Election Commission and appropriate measures sought to tackle the situation and ensure the security of the voters, he said adding several militants had reportedly immigrated in the areas.

Earlier, Mr Mukherjee said, '' The alliance with the INPT is not now. The Congress forged an alliance with erstwhile TUJS in 1980 and we are always sincere to destabilise the extremists by offering them political autonomy. '' UNI BB SJC AKJ KN1827