AGARTALA, Jan 24: The Tripura CPI(M) on Friday threatened to hold a public rally on a street on January 29 if the BJP-led government in the state declines to provide them with the ground they had sought for the purpose.
The party 24th state conference is scheduled to begin on that day and the CPI(M) had sought a school ground to organise the programme. CPI(M) coordinator Prakash Karat and the party’s politburo member Brinda Karat are set to address the rally.
The state government, however, refused to provide the opposition with it, asserting that a holiday cannot be declared in an institute because of a political party’s programme.
“When they approached me to permit them to hold a rally at the Umakanta Academy ground, I wanted to know when the proposed programme would be held. They replied it will be on January 29,” the chief minister told the reporter when asked about the CPI(M)’s plan.
“We can’t declare a school holiday for holding any political rally in an educational institution. It can organise the rally in the left-out portion of the school’s ground,” he said.
Saha said the CPI(M) had earlier wanted to organise the rally at Swami Vivekananda Ground but a government programme (SHG Fair) has already been scheduled there.
Responding to the chief minister’s statement, senior CPI(M) leader Pabitra Kar said, “If the government declines to give permission to hold the rally at Umakanta Academy ground, we will do it on the streets.”
“We had sought permission to hold a rally at Swami Vivekananda ground well before our programme. Initially, we were informed that there was no event at the Swami Vivekananda ground on January 29,” Kar said.
Now, the authorities are saying that a government programme will be held at the Swami Vivekananda ground, he said. The Sports Council of Tripura, which owns the ground, did not follow the level playing ground by adopting ‘first come first serve’ policy, Kar alleged. (PTI)