Agartala: Hundreds of Congress workers have launched demonstration before all eight district magistrates and 23 sub-divisional magistrates across Tripura since this morning demanding re-election to two Loksabha seats of the state and legal action against Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Ashutosh Jindal.
Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee President D C Hrangkhwal said the party had sent sufficient video footage and still photographs of many polling booths of Tripura where CPI-M cadres in support of polling staff rigged vote but Election Commission of India (ECI) yet to take any effective steps against the accused officials.
“We shall already taken up the matter with Delhi at political level against the lenient attitude of ECI to CPI-M in Tripura, what is found quite different in Assam where only in one booth polling officials indulged rigging for a particular party and all of the accused are now in jail and administrative enquiry has begun,” Hrangkhwal alleged.
He however, pointed out that Congress would continue it’s agitation in bigger form to press for the demand of re-polling in the state and action against CEO and Returning Officers for failing to ensure fair election and when it became public CEO tried to defend the misdeed of ruling CPI-M and issued fabricated statement.
“In all the cases related to rigging in election, text and context of the statement of both CPI-M and CEO was similar and substitute in nature. Moreover, he did not take any action on any complaints lodged by the oppositions for gross violation of election code against CPI-M rather supported them,” he also stated.
Meanwhile, Congress, BJP, Trinamool Congress and Tripura Progressive Gramin Congress (TPGC) have protested the statement of Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers association Tripura Chapter, which sought action against the parties for agitating against CEO.
Congress President said by supporting inaction over poll rigging of CEO IAS officers association supported the crime and also threatening political parties to restrain from agitation against CEO, it crossed their jurisdiction and matter has been taken up with Prime Minister’s office.
“In a democratic set up opposition parties have got right to protest any issue and it is not against any individual and against the failure of CEO to perform impartial role but the way association reacted is really dangerous for democracy,” he maintained.
All other political parties have also protested the move of the association and warned them to restrain from such activities for strengthening the democracy of the country.
Earlier, the association moved Election Commission of India (ECI) seeking action against the political parties, had burnt effigy of Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Ashutosh Jindal and abused him for manipulating election to Loksabha. (UNI)
