Swarna Shukla –
Published On: December 2, 2021 at 20:00 IST
A Local Court grants Bail to two CPI (M) Leaders Manik Sarkar and his deputy Badal Choudhury and few others. They were booked for allegedly violating Covid-19 guidelines at the time of a political gathering held in August 2020.
Along with Sarkar and Choudhury, former Minister Manik Dey, former MP Shankar Prasad Dutta and CPI (M) leaders Goutam Das, Madhusudan Das, Krishna Rakshit and Rana Das, among others, were booked in the case registered at West Agartala Police Station.
Manik Sarkar stated, “We did not get permission to hold a rally, so we instead organised a gathering. I was called to speak there. After I made my speech, a Police Officer reached the spot and told us that we would be arrested as our gathering was illegal. Police didn’t have vehicles to detain nearly 3,000 people who gathered there. So, they didn’t detain us then.”
Last year, the CPI(M) state unit held an event requesting a monthly allowance of Rupees 7,500 and 10 kg of rice or wheat per person for poor households as part of the party’s national program. The party also urged the Government to pay for the medical costs of those affected by the pandemic.
Sarkar claims that the proceedings against her were “instructed,” suggesting that police are acting under political pressure. He said. “We were released on bail by the courts. The Government can no longer hide its mistakes.”
Furthermore, Public Prosecutor Bidyut Sutradhar stated, “They (Left leaders) were asked to appear before the court today after a chargesheet was filed against them by the investigating officer. They requested bail and we opposed it with specific arguments. The court has granted them bail, executing PR bond of Rs 30,000 and a surety.”