Lenin's Statue Bulldozed, Sitaram Yechury Calls For Protests

Left party CPM's general secretary Sitaram Yechury has announced country-wide protests, accusing the BJP of "thriving on political violence" as clashes broke out between supporters of the two parties in Tripura after assembly election results were announced. The BJP swept the election, uprooting the CPM after 25 years in power. In a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, CPM Member of Parliament in the Lok Sabha, Mohd Salim, has alleged that "goons of BJP have unleashed terror and all round attack on members and supporters of CPI-M...we request your immediate intervention to stop these attacks." A statue of Russian Communist icon Vladimir Lenin, in middle of Belonia town in south Tripura, was razed with bulldozers. Home Minister, Rajnath Singh, has spoken to Tripura's police chief asking him to ensure law and order till a new government is in place. The BJP's Biplab Kumar Deb will take oath as chief minister on Friday, March 9.