Agartala  (PTI): Appealing Left leaders to join the BJP, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Sunday said his party is like river Ganga and "taking a dip" in it will help them get rid of all sins.

Addressing a public meeting as part of the Jan Vishwas rally in South Tripura's Kakraban, Saha said BJP is confident about winning the assembly elections due this year.

"I appeal to the people who still believe in the ideology of Stalin and Lenin to join the BJP because it is like river Ganga. All your sins will vanish if you take a holy bath in Ganga," he said.

"The compartments of the train are still vacant. Sit in the vacant bogies and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will take all of us to the destination where we are supposed to be," he added.

Targeting the opposition CPI(M), Saha alleged the Communists suppressed the people's democratic rights and ruled Tripura for years.

"There was no democracy during the Communist regime as they believe in violence and terror tactics. In South Tripura district, as many as 69 opposition leaders were killed during the Left rule. Kakraban was no exception where a lot of political murders happened," he alleged.

Exuding confidence about the BJP's win in the elections, Saha said the Jan Viswas rally which was flagged off by Union Home Minister Amit Saha on January 5 will floor the opposition parties.

"The idea of 'prestha pramukh' (page in charge) was successfully carried out by Shah in Tripura during the 2018 assembly elections. It demolished the Communist fort after 25 years. This time, the Jan Viswas rally will do the same to the opposition. They will be visible only through a microscope after the elections," he claimed.

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Mumbai (PTI): The gunning down of Badlapur case accused Akshay Shinde on Monday was the "killing of justice", said Asim Sarode, lawyer for the two minor girls he allegedly sexually assaulted.

Shinde was killed near Mumbra Bypass around 6:15pm when he allegedly snatched the gun of a policeman while he was being ferried in a police vehicle as part of a probe into a case registered on the complaint of his former wife.

After he shot and injured an API, another personnel from the escort team fired at him, and he was declared dead by doctors at a nearby hospital.

"While representing the two minor girls, I noticed it was becoming uncomfortable for the local politics of the Thane district and even for the educational institution where Akshay Shinde was working. Shinde's death in such a manner is killing of justice," Sarode told a regional news channel.

"Now, the case of sexual assault of the two minor girls will get sidelined. The case of these two minor girls was becoming difficult for the educational institute, as it is affiliated with a certain political family. Such a practice would lower the confidence of people in police and the judiciary," he claimed.

Sarode said he will be filing a plea before the Bombay High Court demanding thorough inquiry into the firing incident.

"Shinde's case could have brought up certain aspects that would have been negative politically for the government. I wonder how Shinde could access the gun and how he could unlock it when his hands were tied. This is political murder and is absolutely wrong," he said.