Tripura health minister dropped for ''anti-party activities''
Agartala: Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb has dropped Health Minister Sudip Roy Barman from the Cabinet, a state government notification said.
Barman, who had joined the BJP from the Trinamool Congress two years ago, was removed on Friday night, a week after Deb warned of stern action against "enemies in the BJP".
Party leaders on condition of anonymity claimed that 56-year-old Barman was dropped due to "anti-party activities". Barman could not be reached for a comment.
A notification of the Department of General Administration (Confidential and Cabinet) issued late on Friday night said the departments held by Barman would be reassigned to the chief minister and Deputy Chief Minister Jishnu Devvarma.
A five-time MLA, Barman was the leader of the opposition and president of Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC). He joined Trinamool Congress in 2016, and then defected to the BJP in 2017 with a group of Congress MLAs.
There were demands of cabinet reshuffle in the party, BJP spokesperson Nabendu Bhattacharya said.
Party leaders wanted that cabinet berths should be filled up on the basis of the track records of leaders.
"Three cabinet berths were not filled up when the new cabinet of the BJP-IPFT government took oath of office. With Barman's exit another berth became vacant," he told PTI.
"It is presumed that there will be reshuffle of the council of ministers and some new members will be incorporated on the basis of the performance of those leaders," he said.
The BJP-IPFT government came to power in the state one-and-a-half years ago.
The chief minister, who holds seven portfolios including home, would now also be in charge of the departments such as PWD (Drinking Water and Sanitation), Industries and Commerce (IT) and Health and Family Welfare.
The deputy chief minister, who also holds the portfolio of finance would hold the charge of Science, Technology and Environment Department.
After the results of all the two parliamentary constituencies were announced on May 23, Deb told reporters that despite conspiracies hatched by the 'enemies inside BJP', the party had won with a huge margin. He said stern action would be taken against the conspirators.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Bengal: Murder of Suvendu aide sparks political row; BJP, TMC trade barbs
Kolkata (PTI): The murder of a close aide of BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari triggered political confrontation in West Bengal on Thursday, with the saffron camp accusing the TMC of fostering "lawlessness" and the Mamata Banerjee-led party rejecting the charge.
In a shocking development within 48 hours of the assembly poll verdict, Chandranath Rath, Adhikari's executive assistant, was shot dead in a brazen attack at Madhyamgram on Wednesday night, escalating tension in the area.
According to preliminary information, motorcycle-borne assailants intercepted Rath's vehicle near Doltala in Madhyamgram around 10.30 pm, forced it to stop and opened fire at point-blank range before fleeing.
Senior BJP leaders on Thursday alleged that the killing reflected the "complete collapse" of law and order in the state under the rule of the TMC government, which was "thrown out of power" in the assembly polls.
"A person closely associated with the leader of the opposition was targeted in a planned manner. This shows how law and order have deteriorated under the Mamata Banerjee government, which the people of Bengal have thrown out of power," a BJP leader said.
Adhikari on Thursday described the gunning down of his close aide as a "cold-blooded murder" and alleged that the killers had carried out a recce before executing the attack in North 24 Parganas district.
The Trinamool Congress dismissed the allegations and accused the BJP of attempting to politicise the incident before the investigation had progressed.
"The TMC has nothing to do with this unfortunate incident. The police are investigating the case professionally. The BJP should refrain from making baseless accusations. We are the ones who demanded a CBI probe of the killing," a senior Trinamool leader said.
The Congress demanded a transparent probe and criticised both the BJP and the TMC for "turning every tragedy into a political battle".
"The focus should remain on arresting the killers and ensuring justice, not on political point-scoring," a state Congress leader said.
The CPI(M) also condemned the killing and expressed concern over the deteriorating political atmosphere in the state.
"Violence and fear have increasingly become part of Bengal's political culture under the TMC rule. The administration must act firmly and impartially. We condemn the killing and demand strict action against those involved in the crime," a senior CPI(M) leader said.
