Left Front leaders to boycott swearing-in of Biplab Kumar in Tripura

Agartala, March 08: The Left Front leaders will boycott the swearing-in of the BJP-led government spearheaded by Biplab Kumar Deb on Friday to protest "large-scale violence" in Tripura after the Assembly elections, Left leaders said on Thursday.

However, outgoing Chief Minister Manik Sarkar and elected leaders of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) will attend the ceremony, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah would be present.

Left Front Convenor Bijan Dhar said that since the declaration of Assembly election results on Saturday, around 400 offices of the Left parties and frontal organisations were attacked, 85 party offices burnt down, 315 offices of various Left parties and frontal organisations were forcibly occupied, 1,704 houses belonging to Left members and supporters attacked and around 200 houses set on fire.

He claimed that 290 shops owned by Left members and supporters were burnt down, 10 rubber gardens destroyed, over 600 Left members and supporters assaulted badly, 10 vehicles damaged. This had forced thousands of persons to take refuge elsewhere in the state.