CPI-M legislator sacked, quits Tripura assembly

A CORRESPONDENT

AGARTALA, Dec 11: In a sudden move the ruling CPI (M) expelled its party MLA Manoranjan Acharjee and also asked him to resign from his legislative post. A statement issued by the party State committee on Friday said the action was taken following allegations of moral degradation. The speaker Ramendra th has accepted the resigtion.

Acharjee, a senior leader of the party was elected from Birgunj constituency in South Tripura consecutively for three terms. He was also a member of the CPI (M) State committee.

According to sources the action was taken following an incident in the CPI (M) party office at Amarpur where he allegedly allured the five year old daughter of one of the local party leader and sexually abused her. Returning home she rrated the incident to her mother who rushed to the party office and bitten the MLA in presence of others. Acharjee however, denied the allegation.

Meanwhile, the party kept the incident secret fearing adverse reaction in the municipal election that concluded on Wednesday. Immediately after the election the State committee met here on Thursday and instructed him to resign from the post of MLA and expelled him. Considering the seriousness of the incident the party did not followed the normal procedure for such action and summarily punished him.

He is the fourth MLA of the CPI (M) to be expelled after the party came to power in 1993. Three others were Anta Pal, Kartik Kanya Debbarma and Bhudev Bhattacharjee.