Tripura Oppn parties demand minister to quit over guard’s arrest

Agartala: The opposition CPI-M and Congress lashed out at the ruling BJP government criticising the ‘Nesha Mukta Tripura’ slogan, days after three policemen, including the personal guard of the social welfare and social education minister Santana Chakma, were arrested with drugs in Kanchanpur.

Speaking with EastMojo, senior CPI-M leader Pabitra Kar said that the drug smugglers arrested so far from across the state are mostly the supporters of the BJP party.

“Now that the personal guard of the minister Santana Chakma is arrested the truth has come to the front. The personal guards are the most trusted persons, the involvement of the security men indicates how deep the BJP is involved in the contraband trade,” Kar said.

He also said that the action and the words of the BJP do not match. The party calls for a ‘nesha mukta’ state but the same government has floated tenders for over 100 foreign liquor shops’ licence,” Kar added.

Meanwhile, the Congress party has castigated the BJP government following the involvement of the minister’s personal guard in the contraband trade.

PCC vice-president Tapas Dey said that the guard of the BJP government’s cabinet minister Chakma was detained while smuggling drugs.

“The involvement of Santana Chakma in the drug episode can’t be ruled out. Drop her from the cabinet to prove sincerity and seriousness to make drug free Tripura slogan,” Dey said.

Meanwhile, BJP state spokesperson Nabendu Bhattacharjee rubbished the allegations and comments made by the opposition parties and said that the jobs of those cops were given during the previous Left Front regime.

“The jobs were given during their regime and all the arrested policemen from across the state were found to be the cadres of CPIM. The Congress party has no existence and a minister cannot be held responsible for the involvement of guard in crime,” Bhattacharjee told EastMojo.

Earlier, on Thursday, the Tripura police arrested three policemen, including the personal guard of Tripura social welfare and social education minister Santana Chakma, and seized heroin worth Rs 1 lakh from their possession from a jungle in Kanchanpur subdivision of North Tripura district.

Speaking with EastMojo, Kanchanpur subdivisional police officer (SDPO) Bikramjit Shukla Das said that acting on a tip-off, the police conducted an operation in the forest area and caught the three of them with the contraband items.

He also said that during interrogation, they were identified as Narrotam Chakma, a constable posted in Kanchnpur court; Dilip Kumar Chakma, a police constable; and Sanjib Debbarma, a rifleman in the Tripura State Rifles (TSR).

Dilip Kumar Chakma was identified as the persona guard of social welfare and social education minister Santana Chakma.