AGARTALA, April 15 (TIWN): With Chief Minister Manik Sarkar alleged, “Former Brigadier B.K. Panwar of the Assam Rifles assisted the extremists here in Tripura during the year 2000 and played a conspiracy against the Left front govt.” has become a major issue in wake of the general election to the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) election. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Pradesh Committee President Sudhindra Das Gupta on wednesday talking to TIWN comes down heavily with the alleged negative role of Brig. B.K. Panwar.

He said, “During the year 2000 the Tripura Nagarik Mancha had demanded for the transfer of Panwar because of his negative role towards the innocent Bengalis.”

Das Gupta today also endorsing the serious allegation brought by Chief Minister recently at the public   rally at Khumlung, said, “Panwar acting on behest of the extremists had played a depressing role in tackling the militants in the state during the year 2000.”

“When the Bengalis in our state were heavily tortured by the extremists during 2000, Brigadier Panwar has come with no aid to the innocent victims,” Das Gupta told to TIWN on Tuesday. He said that the then Assam Rifles forces acting behest of their Brig. Panwar did not protect the people, affected by terrorists and dealt the militants' crimes very frivolously.

CM Manik Sarkar, who also holds the home portfolio, on April 11 during his public speech at the TTAADC headquarters in Khumulwng said, “TTAADC polls in 2000 was a farce.” He said, “There was an unholy nexus among the IPFT and INPT, the Congress, Assam Rifles and terrorist outfits to defeat the Left Front and grab the power.”

Besides, the opposition leader Sudip Roy Barman on Tuesday coming down heavily on Sarkar’s statement said that it is very unfortunate that one CM can bring such a serious allegation against the paramilitary forces of the state who sacrifice their lives for their motherland. He said, “Either CM will seek apology or else he will be called as anti-national element.”