‘Most wanted militant’ turns ‘patriot’ for Sonia

As campaigning ended today, Hrangkhawl, made it to almost every election speech in the state, irrespective of the speaker’s political affiliations.

‘‘The ruling Left Front practically doesn’t have any issue. So, it has been targeting Hrangkhawl. His controversial speech in favour of granting right to self-determination to the Tripura tribals in Geneva in June last year has been so often referred to that he has been almost elevated to the rank of a national leader,’’ states the Syandan Patrika, a local daily.

‘‘If he is such a dreaded person, why didn’t the Left Front arrest him? Why did the government keep silent after filing an FIR against him following his Geneva speech?’’ asks the Tripura PCC general secretary Nirode Baran Das.

While the CPI(M) feels Hrangkhawl has been using his proximity to the banned NLFT to reap electoral gains, Sonia Gandhi has declared him a ‘‘patriot’’. ‘‘He has shun violence and accepted the Constitution,’’ she said.

‘‘Hrangkhawl has been an MLA for the past five years. Now that the CPI(M) is sure that the Congress-INPT alliance is forming the next government, its leaders are trying to project him as a demon,’’ says senior Congress leader Priya Ranjan Das Munshi.

In the past, Hrangkhawl, has been accused of masterminding the worst ethnic violence in Tripura in which nearly 1,500 Bengalis were killed. He has been giving the Left nightmares since three tribal parties — Tripura Upajati Juba Samiti, TNV and Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura — merged to form the INPT.