Pistol, ammo seized from BJP man’s home in CM’s constituency

Sonamura (Tripura), Jan. 25 (PTI): Border Security Force (BSF) personnel today seized a pistol, live cartridges and drugs from the house of a BJP worker at Tarapur village near Indo-Bangladesh border.
Tarapur in Sipahijala district falls under Dhanpur constituency from where state Chief Minister Manik Sarkar has won four times in a row since 1998 and would also contest from there this time too. Election for the 60-member Tripura Assembly would be held on February 18.
Acting on a tip-off, BSF personnel raided the house of BJP worker Abdur Rahaman early in the morning and recovered a 9 mm pistol with nine live cartridges, 270 bottles of cough syrup and 450 tablets, both used as intoxicants, BSF Commandant Ganesh Kumar said.
Besides, Rs 2.10 lakh and Bangladeshi Taka 10,402 were also seized from the house of Rahaman, who was later handed over to the police.
Kumar told reporters that the BSF had information that arms and ammunition could be smuggled to India from Bangladesh before the election. Local CPI(M) leader Abdul Karim said Abdul Rahaman is an active BJP worker who had contested the last panchayat election as a candidate of the saffron party.
“Now it is proved that BJP workers were gathering arms and ammunition for use before the elections to create tension and to intimidate CPI(M) activist,” claimed Karim, chairman of Kathalia panchayat samiti.
Admitting that Abdur Rahaman is a party activist, state BJP General Secretary Pratima Bhowmik said he has been framed to tarnish the image of the party.
“Local CPI(M) workers might have kept the pistol and other things at his house with an ulterior motive,” said Bhowmik also hails from the same Assembly constituency and is likely to contest from there.
Tripura Chief Electoral Officer Sriram Taranikanti said in Agartala last night that the BSF was alerted to guard the 856 kilometre long border of the state with Bangladesh in view of the election.