Tripura:For ‘demolishing’ PM Modi’s photo, Poll official suspended

Agartala: A sector officer of Sabroom assembly constituency in Tripura has been suspended for allegedly “demolishing” a poster of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a campaign to remove hoardings and banners from public places, an official said.

The action came after the ruling BJP urged the Election Commission to take action against election officials who instead of removing PM Modi’s image from banners and hoardings at public places in the state.
“It appears that the sector officer has violated the model code of conduct by putting black paint on a poster inside a private shop. Therefore, it has been decided that the officer will be suspended and disciplinary action against him as per relevant rules. Action will be initiated,” Additional Chief Electoral Officer UJ Mog said in a letter to the District Magistrate of South Tripura on Tuesday.

State Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Ratan Lal Nath said that the Election Commission has taken this action after filing a complaint by the BJP.
“We want the polling panel to take action against those who were guilty in the Majlishpur incident in West Tripura on January 18. Issuing an advisory to the Congress is not enough. The party wants legal action against those who committed the Majlishpur incident. I organized a bike rally which created a law and order problem there,” he said.

The Congress had claimed that 15 party workers and workers, including AICC general secretary Ajay Kumar, were injured in the January 18 incident in Jirania sub-division of West Tripura district.
Expressing concern over the attack on a BJP leader in Aralia under West Tripura’s Banamalipur assembly constituency, the state minister said, “We want the police to arrest all the accused including the main culprit immediately,” he said.
BJP’s Banamalipur Mandal President (SC Morcha) Suman Das was injured when a group of unidentified miscreants attacked him with sharp weapons.

Chief Minister Manik Saha visited the GBP Hospital where the injured leader is undergoing treatment and alleged that Congress-backed goons had attacked Das.

“The police have been asked to immediately arrest all those involved in the crime,” he said.

“Basically this is a case of business rivalry,” the police said in a Facebook post.