Agartala, Dec 27 (IANS): CPI-M politburo member and former Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar on Friday alleged that whenever the Left leaders and members protest against the new citizenship law and NRC, they are attacked by BJP workers, while police stand inactive.

In a letter to Director General of Police Akhil Kumar Shukla, Sarkar said that workers of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party attacked the CPI-M led Left Front leaders and members when they organised protest rallies against the Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) earlier this week at Belonia and Udaipur in southern Tripura.

"Many CPI-M leaders and supporters including former minister Ratan Bhowmik were injured in these attacks by the BJP supporters and members. Despite the protest rallies being organised with the permission of the authorities, the BJP cadres attacked the peaceful agitators and police remained stand by as silent spectator," the Communist Party of India-Marxist leader said.

The former Chief Minister asked the police chief to ensure police act firmly and impartially to stop political terror, through attacks on the opposition parties, their workers and supporters by ruling party supporters to bring back peace and tranquillity in the state.

"The police are failing to act impartially and maintain the law and order. After the BJP attacks on the Left parties, the police mysteriously booked those CPI-M members who were attacked and injured by the ruling party members," said Sarkar, who is now the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly.