Lenin statues razed in Tripura, post-poll violence continues
Agartala: The post-poll violence in Tripura continued for the fourth consecutive day on Tuesday even as the administration, BJP and the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) urged everyone to maintain peace.
According to the leaders of CPI-M, two statues of Vladimir Lenin were razed by the BJP activists in Tripura.
"A statue of Vladimir Lenin was knocked down by the BJP activists on Monday night at Sabroom in southern Tripura. The statue was set up a few years back," Tripura CPI-M state secretary Bijan Dhar said.
Dhar alleged around 520 CPI-M supporters were injured in attacks by rival BJP-IPFT party workers in more than 225 places across Tripura since Saturday, after the declaration of the poll results.
"Arsoning, attacks and loot were carried out in around 1,745 houses. Many rubber gardens and small vehicles, hundreds of small shops, were forcibly occupied, ransacked or burned at around 500 places," Dhar told the media.
According to an earlier report, an 11.5-feet fibre statue of Vladimir Lenin was brought down with a bulldozer by the BJP activists in Belonia on Monday evening.
"The BJP supporters, chanting 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai', knocked down the statue of Lenin near a government college in Belonia," CPI-M leader Haripada Das said.
"We urge the administration and the BJP party leadership to take adequate measures to stop these post-poll violence immediately," said Dhar, also a CPI-M central committee member.
On the other hand, accusing the CPI-M for "deliberately provoking and indulging in violence and attacks on BJP supporters", Tripura BJP vice president Subal Bhowmik said that there have been 49 incidents of attacks on party workers and supporters by CPI-M cadres in the past 48 hours, injuring 17 BJP supporters.
He warned all that law would take its own course against the attackers irrespective of party affiliations.
West Tripura district police Chief Abhijit Saptarshi said police have arrested some people in Mandai in western Tripura for indulging in violence.
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Ready to face no-confidence motion, says Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah
Hassan (Karnataka) (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday said that the Congress government led by him was ready to face the no-confidence motion if moved by the opposition during the legislature session from December 8.
With Deputy CM D K Shivakumar by his side, he reiterated that they would both abide by the high command's decision on the leadership issue.
"Let them (opposition) bring in a no-confidence motion or adjournment motion or any other motion. We are ready to face it. Ours is an open book, transparent government. We are ready to face anything," Siddaramaiah said in response to a question.
However, BJP state President B Y Vijayendra and Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly R Ashoka, clarified that the party, along with the JD(S) has not discussed or decided anything so far regarding moving a no-confidence motion against the government.
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The winter session of the Karnataka legislature will begin in Belagavi, bordering Maharashtra, on December 8 and will go on till 19th of this month.
Not wanting to react to a question on the leadership issue, the CM said the Congress high command is very strong.
"D K Shivakumar and I will be committed to whatever the high command decides," he said.
Earlier in the day in Bengaluru, Shivakumar accompanied AICC Mallikarjun Kharge till airport from Vidhana Soudha, after paying tributes to B R Ambedkar on his 69th death anniversary, which had led to some speculation about possible discussion between the two on the leadership issue.
The power tussle within the ruling party had intensified amid speculation about a change in chief minister in the state, after the Congress government reached the halfway mark of its five-year term on November 20.
However, both the CM and Deputy CM had recently held breakfast meetings at each others residences, on the instructions of the high command, which is seen as a move to pause the leadership tussle between the two and to signal Siddaramaiah's continuation as the CM for the time being, especially ahead of the Belagavi legislature session.
