8 CPM Tripura members suspended

BY SANJIB DEB

Agartala

July 6: The Tripura CPI(M) suspended eight party members, including an MLA and a former divisional committee secretary, for indulging in factionalism and anti-party activities which, according to the party, were responsible for the defeat of former minister Bijoy Laxmi Sinha in the last Assembly election from party stronghold Kamalpur in Dhalai district.

Former minister and MLA Sudhir Das and former divisional committee secretary Ranjit Ghosh, both members of the state committee and allegedly leading two factions in the sub-division, were suspended for one year. Disciplinary action has been taken against others, including Mr Dipak Paitya and Mr Anjan Das, divisional secretary of Citu and DYFI, respectively. Mr Das is the chairman of the Salema block development committee also. Similar action was taken against two senior Krishak Sabha members, Mr Birendra Pal and Mr Kaushik Deb.

The two factions were at loggerheads since Ms Sinha was nominated in 2000 after her husband Bimal Sinha was assassinated.

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Panthers’ Party claims threat

By OUR CORRESPONDENT

New Delhi

July 6: Members of the Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers’ Party on Sunday held a protest in front of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s official residence here alleging that national security adviser M.K. Narayanan had allegedly threatened party chief Bhim Singh.

However, Mr Narayanan rubbished the claims made by the NPP leaders. Speaking to a news channel, Mr Narayanan said, "The claims are not true. I only told them to keep in mind the situation in Jammu and Kashmir while voting in the no-confidence motion."

The protest was held early on Sunday and lasted over a few minutes, a senior police official said. Rajiv Khosla, leader of the party’s Delhi unit, claimed that the protest was due to an alleged threat made by Mr Narayanan to Mr Bhim Singh on Saturday night.

He claimed that Mr Narayanan had threatened Mr Singh that he should support the Congress in the trust vote.