Agartala: Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Friday said his government would move the High Court seeking permission to reopen the 1996 Kalyanpur massacre case, in which 26 people were killed by insurgents.
Saha said the BJP-led government is committed to ensuring justice for the victims of the massacre, which took place at Kalyanpur Bazar Colony in Khowai district on the night of December 12, 1996. In one of the deadliest militant attacks in the northeastern state, armed insurgents allegedly surrounded the village and opened fire on residents as they slept, killing 26 people belonging to the Bengali Hindu community.
Addressing a programme to mark the anniversary of the incident, the Chief Minister said the government would approach the High Court to seek permission to reopen the case. “Our government will appeal to the High Court to ensure justice for those who were killed,” he said.
Saha said he paid floral tributes to the victims and sought their blessings to give him the strength to pursue justice. “The incident that occurred 29 years ago shocked the entire nation. Men, women, children and the elderly were killed by terrorists. Everyone knows who was responsible,” he said, blaming the then-ruling CPI(M) for the attack.
He also made strong remarks against the CPI(M), alleging that the party was responsible for violence and repression. “It is unfortunate that the CPI(M) still has 10 MLAs in the Assembly. They do not speak for the people, only for their cadres,” he claimed.
The Chief Minister further alleged that 69 people were killed in South Tripura district alone during the CPI(M)’s tenure. He said peace has since been restored in the state under the BJP government, adding that the Centre has signed 12 accords to bring militants into the mainstream.
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“The terrorists who killed innocent people and indulged in violence will not be spared. Some of them are still active under the cover of anonymity, but our government will make every effort to bring them to justice,” Saha said.
