Prevented from visiting Tripura, own constituency by ruling BJP many times: Manik Sarkar

Former Tripura chief minister and CPI(M) leader Manik Sarkar on Tuesday said that he was prevented from visiting the state and his constituency by the ruling BJP multiple times.

This comes days after CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi alleging violence against the Left party's cadre by the BJP in the state.

Sarkar served as chief minister of Tripura from 1998 to 2018.

Read more: Violent clashes erupt between BJP and CPI(M) activists in Tripura

In a press conference on Tuesday, Yechury and Sarkar lashed out at the BJP over violence in Tripura.

"In Tripura, the Constitution of India doesn't work. CPI(M) MLAs, including me, aren't allowed to visit their constituency. In 42 months that the BJP has been in power, I have been stalled 15 times from visiting various parts of the state and my Constituency," Sarkar said.

The two Left leaders said that there is a "huge discontent" against the BJP government in Tripura.

"The CPI(M) is spearheading efforts to galvanise people's protest. They (BJP) do not want to allow this process and are unleashing violence?" Yechury alleged.

A few days ago, in his letter to the prime minister, the CPI(M) general secretary had alleged that the party's offices in Tripura were attacked by "mobs of BJP men" in a "pre-planned fashion" on September 8.

In the letter, Yechury has alleged the "impunity" with which the attackers operated shows the "connivance of the state government".