'Modi tells more lies than truth, will forget vows after civic polls'

KOLKATA: Alleging that Prime Minister 'Narendra Modi tells more lies than truth' and he would forget the promises made after the completion of the forthcoming civic polls in Tripura, Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader and Bengal's minister of state for Information and Cultural Indranil Sen on Monday urged voters in the northeastern state to listen to their conscience before casting their franchise.

He slammed Modi for his announcement that 90,000 houses would be built for the poor in Tripura. "People in Bengal have not received Rs 15 lakh in their accounts. The youths of Tripura have not got jobs by making missed calls. These are all false promises, which BJP makes deliberately to woo voters before elections," Sen added.

Meanwhile, police physically lifted Panna Deb, Trinamool Congress candidate of ward 10 in Agartala, when she had gone to lodge a complaint with the Superintendent of Police.

Addressing a press conference in Agartala, Sen said: "The BJP has unleashed a reign of terror in Tripura before the civic election. The Assembly election is one and a half year away. People are scared. I urge people to listen to their conscience before casting their votes. They should think of their sons and daughters who have no prospect in Tripura as BJP has not carried out any development of the state. They should not do anything for which they will have to repent."

Deb alleged that for the past few days BJP-backed goons had stopped her from canvassing for the forthcoming election. When she went to see the officer in-charge of Agartala police station he told her that she could conduct a door- to-door campaign with not more than five persons.

Deb said when she was conducting a door-to-door campaign with five people, BJP-backed goons attacked them and assaulted her son on Sunday. She had gone to meet the SP to lodge a complaint. She alleged that she was not allowed to meet the

officer and the police lifted her physically and threw her out of the complex.

Sushmita Deb, Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP alleged that the state administration had flouted the order of the Supreme Court which had instructed it to give protection to all the candidates and they should be allowed to carry out campaigns freely. She said 11 FIRs had been lodged against the BJP-backed goons but the police did not take any action against them. She said despite the mounting pressure on TMC candidates, the fight would continue against the BJP.