Two Manipur BJYM leaders brutally assaulted

Correspondent

IMPHAL, FEB 10: Days after members of the Manipur unit of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) and Manipur Pradesh Youth Congress Committee (MPYCC) engaged in a brawl, armed miscreants brutally assaulted two leaders of the state BJYM unit on Thursday night.

A police report said that state BJYM spokesperson Mayanglambam Suresh Kumar and BJYM office secretary Alex Ningombam were attacked at gunpoint by miscreants who came on a four-wheeler around 9.15 pm on Thursday at Langol area under Lamphel police station of Imphal West district.

Both are attending medical treatment at Raj Medicity hospital in Imphal’s North AOC where police escorted them to with injuries on their bodies.

The condition of spokesperson Suresh Kumar was stated to be critical as he sustained multiple injuries on his body while office secretary Alex sustained minor injuries.

Modi to address two election rallies in Tripura today

AGARTALA, FEB 10

(IANS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to address two election rallies in the poll-bound state of Tripura on Saturday, a BJP leader said on Friday.

On February 13, the Prime Minister is likely to address another public meeting in Tripura. Modi would address an election rally in Udaipur in southern Tripura, and Ambassa in Dhalai district, on Saturday. He is likely to address an election rally in Agartala on Monday (February 13), a day before the end of the campaign for the February 16 assembly polls.

On December 18, a month before the announcement of the election schedule in Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland by the Election Commission, the Prime Minister addressed a public gathering in Agartala. Besides the Prime Minister, BJP president J.P. Nadda, who had already addressed

Child Marriage

GUWAHATI,

Feb

10

(PTI): Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that 2,789 people have been arrested so far during the ongoing crackdown on child marriage, which completed a week on Friday.

The government has also initiated a process to take measures for the rehabilitation of “victims” of child marriage.

“Now, total arrest – 2789. Crackdown continues,” Sarma wrote on Twitter. Though protests at various places by families of those arrested have been reported in the last few days, Assam Police spokesperson Prasanta Kumar Bhuyan had on Thursday said that no such incident took place anywhere in the state during the last 24 hours.

The Assam Police had launched the crackdown on child marriage on February 3, with over 2,000 people, including Hindu and Muslim priests who officiated these weddings, arrested within the first two days.

The arrests are being carried out on the basis of 4,135 FIRs registered across the state. The state government has formed a cabinet sub-committee on the rehabilitation of “victims” of child marriage, and Sarma’s cabinet colleagues Ranoj Pegu, Keshab Mahanta and Ajanta Neog have been named as members of the panel. Opposition parties have criticised the manner in which the drive is being carried out, terming the arrests of teenage husbands and family members as “abuse of law” for political gain, and equating the police action with “terrorising people”.

Reports said that around four miscreants armed with small guns waylaid the two BJYM leaders on near a church their way at Langol near Shija hospital and assaulted them brutally.

Reports said that the BJYM spokesperson Mayanglambam Suresh Kumar was going to drop Alex to his house in his car.

They dragged the spokesperson out of the car and beat him up blue and black. Alex was also physically assaulted when he tried to stop the miscreants.

On receiving the news, a team of Lamphel police rushed to the spot and evacuated them to Raj Medicity hospital for medical treatment. Suresh sustained injuries on his chest, ear, face, and knee. He has been admitted to the ICU ward of the hospital while Alex is stated to be out of danger.

Meanwhile, chief minister N Biren Singh took to social media in condemning the assault on the BJYM leaders strongly. Police teams were sent out to hunt down the armed attackers, he wrote in his Facebook page.

The police also initiated an investigation to establish the identities of the armed miscreants after registering a case against them, the source said.

BJYM president M Barish Sharma the incident was a fallout of the brawl on Wednesday night involving members of the BJYM and MPYCC at the main gate of Impact TV post-participation in the discussion programme on the local TV channel. Members of BJYM allegedly attacked MPYCC leaders who came out of the programme. Without directly pointing to the MPYCC, Barish said that as they started attacking their members, the BJYM would give a befitting reply. He said that the physical assault on the BJYM leaders was fallout of an unbearable defeat in a debate in the local TV channel.

BJP harmed Tripura more than CPI(M) did: TMC Gen Secy

AGARTALA, FEB 10 (PTI): TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Friday alleged that the BJP has caused more harm to Tripura in five years than what the CPI(M) did during its 25-year rule.

Addressing a public rally at Kamalpur in Dhalai district, Banerjee said the saffron party has let loose a reign of terror in the state by attacking opposition party workers, thwarting their attempts to organise meeting and programmes and suppressing freedom of speech.

“I came under a deadly attack perpetrated by BJPsheltered goons in 2021, and similar was the fate of many other TMC leaders and activists. We were denied necessary treatment in hospitals,” he said.

“The BJP, before coming to power, had made many poll promises, but not

Local level understanding with Tipra possible: Yechury

AGARTALA, FEB 10 several election rallies in Tripura on February 3, January 12 and February 9, on Thursday released the party manifesto and addressed the gathering of party workers.

(PTI): CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Friday said though there is no pre-poll adjustment with the Tipra Motha, there can be local-level understanding with the tribal party, which has emerged as the third pole in the upcoming Tripura elections.

“A team will meet the Election Commission in Delhi to request it to take all possible measures to restore democracy and rule of law. In the past five years, the northeastern state has not only witnessed misrule but also a drastic fall in livelihood,” he alleged.

Union Ministers Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, Sarbananda Sonowal, Smriti Irani, Arjun Munda, Kiren Rijiju, Chief Ministers Himanta Biswa Sarma (Assam), Yogi Adityanath (Uttar Pradesh), N. Biren Singh (Manipur), West Bengal opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari, MLA Agnimitra Paul, actor Mithun Chakraborty and many MPs and BJP leaders from outside the state have campaigned for the party.

GANGTOK, FEB 9 (PTI):

Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang on Thursday expressed gratitude to the Union government for making efforts to get the ‘foreigner’ tag on the Sikkimese Nepali community rescinded by the Supreme Court.

The apex court ordered the removal of reference to Sikkimese Nepalis as “people of foreign origin” from its January 13 verdict. The reference had sparked protests in the Himalayan state and a bandh was called on Wednesday.

“I sincerely express my gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and other ministers and legal luminaries for their efforts to get the ‘foreigner’ tag on the aggrieved Sikkimese Nepali community removed by the SC,” he said.

The CM was speaking in the assembly during a special day-long session convened to discuss the is-

Yechury, however, exuded confidence that the Left-Congress alliance would win the February 16 elections on its own and there would be “no hung assembly”.

“At the local level, there can be some understanding, though there is no pre-poll adjustment with the Tipra Motha,” Yechury told reporters here.

Yechury rejected speculations that there could be a hung assembly in the northeastern state, saying that the people will give a “decisive mandate” in favour of secular-democratic forces.

Claiming that the peo- sue. A resolution was passed on the matter. He said the state government took swift measures to file a review petition with the apex court on February 2, following which the SC passed an order removing the reference from its verdict.

Noting that the controversy has now ended, he cautioned people against falling prey to political propaganda unleashed by “some with vested interests”, and said a committee has been formed to check inflammatory contents on social media to maintain peace and harmony in the state.

He said a committee ple’s mood is for a change in the government in the state, Yechury said “attack on democracy, a reign of terror, misrule and corruption” are bothering citizens of Tripura. has been formed to look into the ‘applicability’ of Inner Line Permit (ILP) in the state. The panel will make recommendations after studying the impact of ILP on other northeastern states by visiting Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland.

“With a few days to go for the elections, the ruling dispensation will desperately try to use money and muscle power. Threats and intimidations have already been unleashed,” he said.

Yechury also claimed that the armed police forces from other states, like Assam and Gujarat (both BJP-ruled), were deployed on the pretext that there was a shortage of central paramilitary forces.

Former chief minister and lone opposition MLA Pawan Kumar Chamling also lauded the SC’s removal of the reference from its verdict. However, he left the House just before the CM was to address, annoying the ruling Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) members.

In the 60-member Assembly, the ruling BJP is contesting 55 seats alone while its ally- IPFT has fielded candidates in five seats. Of the Left parties, the CPI(M) is fighting in 43 seats, and the Forward Bloc, RSP and the CPI are contesting in one each, while the Congress has fielded nominees in 13 assembly segments. The Left Front is supporting an independent candidate in the Ramnagar constituency of West Tripura. The Tipra Motha has nominated candidates in 42 assembly segments.

On being asked about the Left-Congress’ chief ministerial candidate, Ye -

GUWAHATI, FEB 10 (IANS): With the Assembly elections in Meghalaya nearing, the former ally BJP has sharply criticised the ruling National People’s Party (NPP).

In an official statement, the BJP on Friday slammed Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on the coal mining issue.

Earlier, Sangma’s party claimed that it would control the illegal coal mining in the hill state, and after five years, the NPP failed to do so.

“The National People’s Party could not even fulfil half of the promises it made to the people before the 2018 Assembly chury said the elected MLAs will choose their leader. election.

Lashing out at the BJP, CPI(M) state secretary Jitendra Choudhury, who many expect will be the chief minister if the alliance wins the elections, also claimed that the “people’s mood is for restoration of democracy” which, he said, suffered due to the “BJP’s misrule”. “Assam chief minister has become a daily passenger to Tripura and comes late at night … Don’t know the mystery about this,” he said.

Choudhury, the CPI(M)’s tribal face for long, also claimed that “huge amounts of cash is flowing in … Rs 4 crore has been seized over the past few days. The CEO must take care of these things,” he said. Elections to the 60-member Tripura Assembly will be held on February 16, when some 28 lakh people are expected to exercise their franchise.

This time, they will be certainly voted out of power in Meghalaya,” said BJP leaders.

Though the BJP and National People’s Party shared power in Meghalaya for the last five years, the two parties earlier decided to go solo in the election. Since then, former allies have been seen attacking each other on different issues.

The BJP’s criticism came against the backdrop of Conrad Sangma’s claim of getting an absolute majority in the upcoming election.

“We will form the government in Meghalaya

RESIGNATION

On this day the 9th Feb 2023, We the undersigned bJP booth level committee Murise Village office bearers hereby tender our resignation as active and primary membership from 3 dimapur-III A/C.

We further resolved to pledge our allegiance and support to Shri. Azheto Zhimomi LJP(RV) candidate for 3 dimapur-III A/C

Abhishek Banerjee

a single one was fulfilled. They had said job seekers can get opportunities by simply giving a missed call, but everything turned out to be false assurances,”

Banerjee stated.

He said that the BJP government failed to provide basic amenities to people like “supply of drinking water, medical aid and proper education”.

“There are hospitals with no doctors and universities with no teachers. The BJP has only harmed the state, more than what the

CPI(M) did in 25 years,” he maintained.

Banerjee said that TMC would fight the election with all its might to oust the BJP.

The Lok Sabha MP also claimed that Bengal Chief Minister and TMC boss Mamata Banerjee has fulfilled all promises made in the neighbouring state. “Schemes implemented in Bengal such as ‘Kanyasree’ and ‘Lakshmir Bhandar’ will also be introduced in Tripura, if the TMC comes to power,” he asserted.

Banerjee also cautioned voters against that BJP’s attempts to woo them with money. “They will offer Rs 1,000 or more, do bargain for more. Why would you not take the money? It is your money, but do not vote for them,” he added.

Arunachal: BJP’s Tsering Lhamu wins Lumla bypoll

ITANAGAR, FEB 10 (PTI): BJP candidate Tsering Lhamu was on Friday declared elected the MLA of Lumla constituency in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang district without a contest.

Tsering Lhamu, the wife of former MLA Jambey Tashi, was the only candidate who filed her nomination for the by-election to the seat. The by-election was necessitated due to the death of her husband in November last year.

Returning Officer Rinchin Dorjee Thungon declared the result at 3 pm after the deadline for the withdrawal of candidature was over, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Liken Koyu said.

Lhamu was handed the election certificate, he said.

Though People’s Party of Arunachal (PPA) named former ‘gaon burha’ or village headman Leki Norbu as its candidate for the by- on our own with a full majority,” he said at an election rally on Thursday.

While attending an election rally in the Songsak Assembly constituency, Sangma commented, “We don’t have to think much about the upcoming election. It is very clear that NPP is coming back with a thumping victory.”

He further claimed that in last five years, his government could do much more than what could not election, he withdrew from the race. be achieved in 20-30 years.

Tashi, who represented the constituency for three consecutive terms since 2009, died at a hospital in Guwahati at the age of 48. Assembly elections in the northeastern state will be due next year, and are likely to be held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha polls. With this win, the ruling BJP’s tally in the 60-member House remained at 49. The opposition Congress and National Peoples’ Party (NPP) have four MLAs each, while there are three Independent MLAs.

“The NPP government has built a record number of roads across the state,” he added.

The Chief Minister further said that in the 45 years of statehood, only 4,500 households in rural areas of Meghalaya had piped water connections, but the NPP-led government has provided over 3 lakh households with piped water connections in the last three years.

On this day the 9th Feb 2023, We the undersigned bJP booth level committee of 18 doyapur Village and 51 doyapur town office bearers hereby tender our resignation as active and primary membership from 3 dimapur-III A/C. We further resolved to pledge our allegiance and support to Shri. Azheto Zhimomi LJP(RV) candidate for 3 dimapur-III A/C.

SPU

Snippets

3 killed in road accident in Bareilly

BAREILLY (UP), FEB

10 (PTI): Three people were killed and as many were injured when the car they were travelling in was hit by an unidentified vehicle here on Friday, police said. Police have sent the bodies for postmortem and an investigation has been initiated. “Efforts are underway to identify the vehicle which hit the car,” said the officer.