CPI(M) Writes to EC on Home Minister’s Secret Meeting with Tripura Officials
CPI(M) Tripura state secretary, Jitendra Choudhury has written a letter to the chief election commissioner (CEC), Election Commission of India on February 14, regarding the issue of union home minister directly trying to influence the conduct of Tripura assembly elections.
Enclosing a news-cutting of ‘Syandan Patrika’ dated February 14, 2023 with the caption “Rater Andhakare Officerder Sathe Shah’r Gopan Sabha Keno? –Congress” (Why did Shah meet in secret with the officers in the darkness of night? –Congress) which quoted the press briefing held in the evening on February 13, 2023 by Gourab Gogoi, Congress MP, he pointed out to the serious allegations made by Gogoi that the union home minister, Amit Shah during his visit to Tripura exclusively for election campaign, had secretly met a batch of top officials of police administration including the DGP of the state and the election department on February 11th night.
Jitendra Choudhury wrote, “At a time when all the stakeholders including the electors in general are very much worried about violence-free fair poll, such secret meeting just three days before the poll date violating the electoral norms has furthered the apprehensions whether any blue print has been chalked out in this secret meeting to manipulate the elections by any means.”
He strongly requested the CEC to order a high level investigation on this allegation and in the event any prima-face reveals in the investigation, he demanded that first the officials should be removed from election duty and then departmental proceedings may be drawn against the alleged officials.
Forwarding the letter written by Jitendra Choudhury, Sitaram Yechury, CPI(M) general secretary wrote to the CEC on February 14 and said, “This is a very serious issue which concerns the conduct of the union home minister in trying to directly influence the conduct of elections for the Tripura assembly. You will recall that in our meeting with the full Election Commission last afternoon, we had expressed our apprehensions about such a possibility involving the union home minister. You had assured us that the Election Commission is fully geared to meet all eventualities in ensuring a free and fair election. However, this development as reported in the media has taken place despite that assurance. We urge you to initiate urgent action to undo the impact which is clearly a violation of the model code of conduct. We also expect that the Election Commission of India will take report from the special observers and fix responsibility on the BJP and other important election officials who met the union home minister.”
