Bhuddhadeb criticises Bangladesh for sheltering insurgents

Khowai (Tripura), Feb 17 : West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattachajee came down heavily on Bangladesh on Saturday for sheltering insurgents of the North-Eastern region.

Addressing a election rally in support of the CPI-M) candidates in the border town of Khowai, 102 kilometres north-east of Agartala, Bhattacharjee said that the militants of the North Eastern region as well as West Bengal are operating from neighbouring Bangladesh.

He added that the Congress party's election ally Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT) is over ground and had clandestine links with a banned militant organisation.

The Bangladesh Government is aiding and abetting the insurgents like the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) and Kamatapur Liberation Organisation (KLO) instead of taking action against them, Bhattacharjee alleged.

He said that the opposition Congress in Tripura is trying to snatch power from the Left Front Government by forging an alliance with insurgents, but the conscious people of the State would thwart any such attempt by voting against the Congress-INPT alliance in the February 23 Assembly election.

Bhattacharjee said that the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) or the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would not do any good for the country and a third alternative uniting democratic and secular all Left Front (LF) like-minded parties is necessary.

He said that under the rule of the Left Front Tripura is developing in all sphere right from self-sufficiency in food grains, agriculture, education, health sector, infrastructure and communication.

The future of Tripura is bright with availability of rubber, gas and improving rail connectivity, many industries are in queue waiting to invest in the State, he added.

Even Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh has praised the State to be the most developing in the seven north-eastern States, said Bhattacharjee.

Altogether 313 candidates, including 28 women aspirants, are in the fray for the elections to 60 seats.

The ruling CPI-M has fielded 56 candidates while its partners - the Communist Party of India (CPI) and Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) - have put up two candidates each.

The main opposition Congress has nominated 48 candidates and allotted 11 seats to its tribal-based ally, the INPT. One seat has been left for Party Democratic Socialism (PDS), a local party formed by breakaway leaders of the CPI-M.

The BJP has fielded 49 candidates, allotting 11 seats to its new electoral partner, the United Democratic Front (UDF), a party formed by disgruntled tribal leaders of different political parties.

The All India Trinamool Congress headed by West Bengal's firebrand leader Mamata Banerjee, nominated 21 candidates and has entered into an alliance with Lok Janashakti Party. By Pinaki Das

ANI