A day after seven structures, built illegally on government land, of the CPI(M), the Congress and their affiliated trade unions were demolished in Tripura capital Agartala, the state machinery today pulled down three more such structures here, District Magistrate Milind Ramteke said.
The three structures removed today in Gobind Ballav market included an office of the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, which is affiliated to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, considered the ideological fountainhead of the BJP.
"We have demolished three more political offices at G B Bazar area as those were built illegally on government land. The offices belonged to Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, CPI(M) and INC," West Tripura District Magistrate Ramteke told reporters.
He said the demolition drive started this morning and continued for several hours.
"We have identified 104 illegal structures of political parties and their affiliated organisations in West Tripura district. All the structures would be demolished in a phased manner," Ramteke said.
The magistrate said a seven-day deadline was given to all the political parties on April 30 to remove the illegal structures. The deadline expired Sunday night and the drive was launched yesterday.
The BJP rode to power for the first time in Tripura in March, putting an end to the 25-year rule of the CPI(M).
The opposition parties have protested the ruling dispensation's decision to bulldoze the structures.
However, Ramteke said this is a government order and unauthorised offices of all parties on government land would be removed.
Former state minister and CPI(M) trade union leader Manik Dey yesterday criticised the move, saying it reminded him of the Emergency.
And Congress leaders staged a protest in front of the district magistrate's office yesterday. They said there were many Congress offices in the state, some as old as 50 years.
Pointing out that an Indian National Trade Union Congress office was demolished, Tripura Congress chief Birajit Sinha claimed the demolition drive exceeded the martial law and added the protests against it would continue.
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