Lenin statue case: 4 suspects summoned for questioning

Four persons suspected to be involved in vandalising a statue of communist icon Vladimir Lenin have been summoned for interrogation, police said today.
"We have served notices to four persons suspected to be involved in pulling down the Lenin statue at College Square asking them to report to the police for interrogation," South Tripura SP Manchak Ipper said.
The incident took place on Monday, two days after the BJP-IPFT combine swept to power in the state winning 43 seats in the 60-member Assembly.
The statue was pulled down by some people with an excavator machine at College Square in Belonia sub-division of South Tripura district, with the CPI(M) holding BJP workers responsible for the incident.

Ashish Paul, who drove the excavator, was arrested and following his interrogation, the four were served notice, Ipper said.
He said if they do not turn up within two days, they would be arrested.

CPI(M) state secretary Bijan Dhar had alleged that BJP workers were responsible for vandalising the statue.
BJP spokesperson Mrinal Kanti Deb today said nobody from the BJP were involved in vandalising the Lenin statue.
"They are all underground cadres of the CPI(M). Those who did this should be strictly punished," he said.
BJP state president and chief minister-designate Biplab Kumar Deb earlier warned that those involved in post-poll violence would not be spared.