Agartala, October 28, 2022: Condemning the three rape incidents in a week’s span in Tripura, former Chief Minister and leader of opposition Manik Sarkar held BJP-led government responsible for deteriorating law and order situation as well as police administration for not discharging their duties in providing proper justice to the victim girls.
Sarkar in a social media briefing on the late evening of Thursday last held the incumbent BJP-IPFT coalition government in Tripura responsible for driving the youths of the state towards addiction of narcotic substances in the last four and half years so that the ruling party can get rid of questions raised by the youths about the commitments made by the political party before coming in power.
He said “As citizens of a healthy society, our heads have been hated. The police and the administration should take necessary steps to ensure that the culprits are immediately arrested and punished severely. I cannot hold all police stations and policemen responsible. When a victim’s family visits police stations to lodge an FIR against accused persons, the police officials are asking them to solve the problem mutually. Those who are becoming the victims of the attack, they claimed that the police know who has attacked us. In a real sense, the police are taking this position to protect the attackers.”
“Expressing anger, victims, their family members and responsible citizens of the society are saying to whom we will go? Who will take the responsibility to protect us if the police are supporting the accused persons? At some places, some people are sitting in the police stations who are directly or indirectly helping the accused persons. In such a situation, how can anyone lodge an FIR? In such a situation, the police are taking a negative role which is a completely condemnable incident. For this, the entire police administration is being blamed”, he added.
Citing the role of the Tripura Commission for Women, the leader of opposition said “After the formation of a new panel in the Women’s Commission, the members made attempts to visit places wherever such incidents of women atrocities were reported. People are unaware what measures were initiated? Now what we see is as the TCW is getting older, it has become inert and inactive, and reluctant to find out the real incident. The Women’s Commission is not taking any active role in discharging their respective duty. It is the allegation of girls, mothers and women all across the state.”
Sharing the initiatives taken during the previous Left Front government’s regime, the former CM Sarkar said “During our days, police were directed that whenever any victim girl or women is visiting the police station for lodging FIR against the crime took place with them, case must be registered without any kind of questioning which may hinder the victim or her family member in becoming misguided. And, closing down all the loopholes in the law, stringent punishment must be ensured against the accused persons and produce them before the court. Irrespective of political colour, caste, creed and religion, offenders must receive exemplary punishment. Soon after lodging an FIR, police have to initiate immediate steps to arrest the perpetrators. Moreover, we have adopted a new method where police and common people jointly can initiate steps i.e. formation of Beat Committees under each police station.”
He also said “It is seen that national highways, roads of the villages, etc, deadbodies are found. People inform the police. Police reach the spot and pass comments on that location which reveal that they are trying to protect the accused persons. In the assembly session, the opposition MLA was suppressed by the treasury bench when she raised her voice against the women atrocities across the state. A section of ruling party MLAs attempted to stop her voice.”
Expressing dissatisfaction over the role of the 56-month old government in Tripura, Sarkar said “What kind of government is running in Tripura? Criminals are freed from trials. After the formation of this government, slogans were raised to make ‘Nesha Mukta Tripura’ (Drug-Free Tripura), now what we’re seeing, the crimes taking place against women, who are organizing this? It is crystal clear. Among the offenders, most are youths. Where is the ‘Nesha Mukta Tripura’? The commitments made by them came into power by luring the youths. As the government is reluctant to do anything for the youths and the government is directly or indirectly trying to intoxicate these youths through drugs so that they cannot question the ruling party. For all these issues, the government is getting isolated.”
