Congress leaders fast in Tripura

Agartala - Tripura Congress members, led by leader of opposition Ratan Lal Nath, Thursday began a fast for 30 hours in front of the Congress Bhavan here to press their 15-point demands, including high-level probes into various alleged scams and murders.

The demands include a CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) inquiry into the alleged misappropriation of "Aadhaar" funds, NIA (National Investigation Agency) probe into Papai Saha murder case and publication of Justice (retired) K.M. Yusuf Commission's report on the assassination of former Tripura health minister Bimal Sinha March 31, 1998.

The Tripura government, however, in a statement refuted the allegation of scam in the central funds for the ambitious "Aadhaar" scheme, a 12-digit number being issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) for all Indian residents.

The Left Front government has already rejected all the demands of the Congress, which started the campaign ostensibly aiming at the Tripura assembly elections, likely to be held in February 2013.

"I have already submitted details to chief minister Manik Sarkar about misappropriation of "Aadhaar" funds and our decision of hunger strike," Nath told reporters here.

He alleged that embezzlement of funds relating to "Aadhaar" scheme amounted to Rs.8 crore and that the state government had submitted false utilization certificates to the central government to receive additional money.

The Congress also demanded an NIA probe into the death of Papai Saha, a young newspaper vendor who was shot dead by Tripura State Rifles trooper on July 11 last year, when Congress workers engaged in a pitched battle with the police in the city.

However, the CID, which probed the incident, found Shah Alam, a local youth guilty of the killing.

On the assassination of former health minister and senior leader of ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Bimal Sinha, Nath said: "The report of the Yusuf commission was not made public by the state government though he was killed by the extremists 14 years ago."