Agartala: A day after Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) informed that the enforcement agency has seized various items worth Rs 9 crore in Tripura, the CPI (M) state committee secretary Jitendra Choudhury on Saturday demanded to publish the names of business establishments from where these items were was seized.
In a letter to the CEO, Choudhury said that he has gone through the press statement issued by the CEO on December 23 apprising the people about the seizure of huge amount of money by the Enforcement Agencies.
“I appreciate the renewed venture of the Enforcement Agencies who, according to your press release, by this time seized a huge amount of Rs. 9, 36, 50,449.00 from different individuals/business organizations of the state. You also admirably mentioned that ‘money power’ and ‘muscle power’ are two factors that stand as ‘menace’ against ensuring level playing exercise in any election,” the letter reads.
Claiming that the press release issued by CEO deserves some clarification, the CPI (M) leader said, “Nowhere in the communiqué you (CEO) did clarify whether the money seized is black money or unaccounted money. In what mechanism such a huge amount of money was amassed? Neither did you let the people know; from whom or which establishment these funds were seized?”
He said as the CEO mentioned that this fund was amassed with the intention to misuse in distorting the normal election process for furthering the electoral gains of any stakeholder, it is the right of the state electorates to know who the elements are intending to influence the people’s opinion by illegal use of money power.
“Thus, for the sake of preserving the creditability of the election authority as well as sensitizing the electorates about the illegal transaction of the money for a dubious purpose, I request you to publish the names/business establishments from where this fund was seized”, the letter added.