Election Commission reprimands opposition Congress leader

Agartala, Feb 9 (PTI) The Election Commission has cautioned the opposition Congress leader Birajit Sinha for making unfounded allegations against Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, sources in the office of Chief Electoral Officer said today. Sinha at a press conference in Kailashahar in North Tripura district on January 22 had alleged that Sarkar had held a secret meeting with leader of the outlawed National Liberation Front of Tripura Suren Debbarma and eight accomplices at a camp of the paramilitary Tripura State Rifles in a remote place in Kanchanpur. After the report was published in a local newspaper on January 23, state secretary of the ruling CPI(M), Bijan Dhar had complained to the ECI that it was a false and fabricated allegation. Sources said, following the complaint, the commission entrusted CBI to investigate and found it to be baseless. The commission in a letter yesterday reprimanded the opposition Congress leader and cautioned him against such comments in future. PTI JOY PC RBL DD