Youth Congress activists on hunger strike against post-poll violence

Agartala, Mar 13 (UNI) Tripura Youth Congress (TYC) activists have gone on a 36-hour hunger strike today near the Civil Secretariat here in protest against the alleged post-poll violence since the election results were declared on March 7.

TYC leader Atash Chakraborty alleged that the ruling Left Front cadres had been attacking the Opposition supporters and more than 500 people, including women and children, were being victimised.

''We will continue the agitation unless the violence is stopped immediately,'' Mr Chakraborty said, adding that Congress and INPT Legislators had boycotted the oath-taking ceremony of the Left Front MLAs yesterday.

The Congress had also organised demonstrations in front of Gandhi statue near Raj Bhawan here in protest against the alleged post-poll violence.

Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) leaders told mediapersons here that more than 500 people in different parts of the state had sustained serious injuries in the post-poll violence while about a hundred were shifted to hospitals and 17 allegations of molestation by the ruling party cadres had been reported so far.

They said the Congress had issued an ultimatum to the Governor on March 10 to ensure peace in the state but nothing had been done so far and reports of more such incidents were received this morning from north and south Tripura.

''Despite our request to the Governor, Director General of Police and Left Front workers to restore peace for development of the state, the situation has not improved and the police has also refused to register the complaints of victims in several places,'' Mr Saha alleged, adding that the matter had also been taken up by the AICC.

Meanwhile, police arrested 48 people of different political parties across the state in connection with post-poll violence while 53 cases of violence had been registered in various police stations of the state since March 7.

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