The Opposition CPM in Tripura “abstained” from government programmes involving President Droupadi Murmu in Agartala on Wednesday in protest against the alleged “trampling” of democratic rights and “lawlessness” under the BJP-led state government.

Tripura CPM state secretary Jitendra Chaudhary told The Telegraph that they were invited by the government to attend a civic reception for President Murmu and laying of a foundation stone by her on Wednesday.

Murmu is on a two-day visit to poll-bound Tripura from Wednesday, her first after becoming the President in July. She was accorded an all women guard of honour by Tripura police on her arrival in Agartala.

“We welcome the visit of the President. We are happy she is visiting our state. We have nothing against her. But we are abstaining from the government programmes to be attended by her in protest against the state government which, by inviting us, wants to show to the world and her Excellency that democracy prevails in the state, that everything is fine in Tripura, which is not true,” Chaudhary said.

The former CPM MP said the BJP-led state government which invited them to be present during the functions attended by Murmu “did not care” to invite even elected representatives from the Opposition to any inaugural or foundation-laying function organised by them in the past four and half years.

“Inviting elected representatives, irrespective of party affiliation, was a convention in Tripura but this government disregarded it. We were not invited even for inauguration of projects launched during our (Left Front) government,” the Left leader said.

“Then there is trampling of democratic rights of the people and absence of rule of law Opposition activists are routinely attacked. There is lawlessness. We were invited today but we were denied permission to pay tributes to our martyrs killed on this day in 1988! These are reasons we abstained from the President’s functions but we have nothing against her,” Chaudhary said.

The ruling BJP-Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT) coalition had ended the Left Front 25-year reign in 2018 comprehensively. The Left has often accused the ruling dispensation of targetting its members and programmes, a charge dismissed by the BJP. The state’s political scene is hotting up with the approaching assembly polls next year.

The President visit, however, has progressed smoothly. She inaugurated the Tripura State Judicial Academy and laid the foundation stone for Tripura National Law University at Narsingarh in Agartala on Wednesday besides virtually inaugurating an MLA Hostel at Capital Complex, Agartala and laying the foundation stones for various projects of the state government related to roads, schools and hostels for students.

On Thursday, she will flag off, from the Agartala railway station, the special extension of Guwahati-Kolkata-Guwahati train up to Agartala and extension of Agartala-Jiribam-Agartala Jan Shatabdi Express upto Khongsang in neighbouring Manipur.

In a tweet from the President’s office, Murmu said: “Delighted to interact with women tea workers of Durgabari Tea Estate in Agartala. They represent the state’s social diversity and seem satisfied with welfare initiatives for them. I urged them to focus on education of their children, particularly girls.”

The President visited the Albert Ekka war memorial in Agartala and paid homage to brave soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation war. She will reach Guwahati on Thursday evening.