Just ahead of the assembly election due early next year, Tripura’s communist chief minister for four consecutive terms created a storm by visiting a gathering of followers of the Anukul Thakur Hindu sect at Agartala on Sunday.
Manik Sarkar did not get on to the dais but instead interacted with the disciples on the ground where an exhibition was also being held at the Astabol Stadium at the state capital.
Tripura state CPI(M) secretary Bijon Dhar told TOI that the chief minister has not broken the Left ideologies by visiting a programme organized by a religious organization. “He actually did not attend any religious rituals there. He only attended a medical camp set up on the ground where several health tests were being carried out.”
Dhar went on to defend Sarkar saying, “Our party’s idea is that a minister can go to a social function held by a religious organization where there are social activities and programmes relating to people’s welfare.”
When asked if Sarkar’s visit to the Anukul Thakur function was anything to do with the coming election, Dhar said, “Today’s visit of the chief minister should not be treated like this.”
But, for BJP, which is in a hurry to wrest Left’s one of the last bastions, Sarkar’s show at the Anukul Thakur function is nothing but a desperate move with an eye on the coming election. According to 2011 census, 83.4% of Tripura’s 3,671,032 population are Hindus. Muslims, making up 8.6 percent of the population, is the second largest religious group.
“This has exposed the double standards of CPI(M), Tripura in particular and in general too. When it comes to taking a grandstand, the communists will say that they are atheists but when it comes to votes, they can go to mandir, majids…anywhere,” newly-appointed Tripura poll in-charge and Assam finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.
He added, “This (visiting Anukul Thakur function) will not help Sarkar in any anyway as people of Tripura have made up their mind to use him and the Left this time. The Left is on the backfoot.”
BJP national executive committee member and in-charge of Tripura Sunil Deodhar added, “With an election in sight, chief minister Manik Sarkar has done several firsts this year. On May 4 he chose to travel by train to Kumarghat for the first time in place of his regular chopper and then when flood-hit Agartala a few months back, for the first time he was seen wading through the waters in raincoats to meet the affected people.”
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