AGARTALA, July 15 (TIWN): Leader of the opposition Jiten Chowdhury on Tuesday hammered on Tripura Power Minister Ratan Lal Nath for addressing the media on the Electricity tax issued from the BJP party office, instead of his Secretariat chamber. Chowdhury said, “Generally, when people are resentful due to a government decision, the departmental minister talks to people through media from the government office to convince them, but here it was different.” “A departmental minister was addressing a departmental issue, sitting in a party office ! It shows that the minister wanted to leave a message to the BJP members not to talk against Smart meters and electricity charges hikes,” he added.

“He (Ratan Lal Nath) wanted to tell the BJP members that when everyone is angry with the government, the BJP members should not be talking against it (electricity bills and Smart meters). They should be silent on it,” added Chowdhury.

The CPI-M leader appealed to the BJP party members to come forward and protest against this anti-people decision of the state government that is imposing Smart meters forcefully.

“CPI-M will stage a protest statewide against such decisions of the BJP government, demanding the lifting of hikes in taxes on electricity and water, and if the government remains unmoved, the movement will be larger in the next steps,” Chowdhury told media.