Tension in Tripura as BJP opposes bandh called by Left Front

From A Correspondent

Agartala, Nov 27 : Tension is brewing in Tripura over the proposed 12-hour strike by the ruling Left Front on Monday against the banning of Rs 500 and 1000 notes by the Centre and the decision by the Bharatiya Jata Party to picket against it.

There is a tradition of success of any bandh specially when called by the ruling party in Tripura but the Left Front is taking no risk and made it an occasion to mobilise maximum number of people on the streets.

They organised a sit in demonstration in Agartala on Saturday where hundreds of party workers participated. They took out processions in every corner of the state, raised slogans appealing to the people to support the bandh.

Bijon Dhar, state secretary of the CPI(M), addressing the gathering, said the note ban has failed to curb black money and inflicted heavy troubles for the common people. He said the biggest victims are the farmers and workers who lost their work and could not sell their product. On the other hand, the BJP has launched campaign opposing the bandh throughout the state. They have decided that their workers will picket everywhere in the state on November 28 urging the people to oppose the bandh. Biplab Deb, state president of the BJP, condemned the CPI(M) for calling the bandh and said they have taken an anti-tiol stand.

Meanwhile, the Indigenous tiolist Front of Twipra, a regiol political party, has taken a stand in support of the note ban. They, in a statement, said it caused some unease for the people but will be good for the country in the long term.