Congress hatching conspiracy with ultras ahead of polls: CPI-M

AGARTALA: Ruling CPI-M today said a conspiracy had been hatched against it by opposition Congress and a band of surrendered insurgents ahead of the February assembly polls.

"Recently three surrendered insurgents of outlawed National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) were arrested on June 16 with Rs 25 lakh on them which they were to handover to NLFT chief, Biswamohan Debbarma in Bangladesh," CPI-M state secretary Bijan Dhar said.

"During interrogation they told the police that a tribal leader of opposition Congress with the help of surrendered insurgents had hatched a conspiracy to destabilise the Left Front government before the assembly elections," he said.

The NLFT insurgents had planned to organize serial blasts in the state similar to the one in 2008, Dhar alleged adding Congress was recruiting new insurgents in league with the surrendered ones so that they could help Congress snatch power in the next elections.

"Congress is acting as a traitor by recruiting new insurgents," he charged.

The outfit, he said, was shifting its base from Bangladesh following pressure from its security forces to Myanmar. The rebels were now using a part of Mizoram, bordering Tripura as thoroughfare to go to Myanmar and the matter was brought to the notice of the Centre.

Police said on the basis of confession of the arrested insurgents two more surrendered NLFT insurgents, who were involved in recruitment of insurgents and in extortion, were arrested.