Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Wednesday asserted that that the law and order situation has improved in the state in the past five years "with the crime graph showing a steep decline".

Opposition CPI(M), however, rebuffed the assertion, claiming that the state has never experienced such lawlessness where rival camp leaders are attacked and stopped from carrying out political activities.

Saha, who chaired a meeting of senior police officers during the day, said that cases of assault, rape and murder have decreased in Tripura since 2018, after the BJP formed government in the state.

"Today, I held a high-level meeting with the director general of police and district superintendents of police (SPs) to review the prevailing law and order situation. The reports submitted to me showed a steep decline in all crimes, be it hurt, assault, rape or murder.

"In case of hurt or assault, an overall 40 per cent decline was registered since 2018. Cases of murder and rapes are also dwindling in the state," he told reporters after the meeting.

Saha, heaping praise on the police for "effectively maintaining law and order", said he has asked officers to keep working with the same momentum "even as opposition parties try to disrupt peace in the state", where elections are scheduled to be held early next year.

The CM, who also holds the Home portfolio, said that the police officers apprised him of problems faced by them, such as manpower shortage and lack of infrastructure in some places.

"The government will surely look into these problems," Saha said.

The CPI(M), making light of the CM's claims, said that the party's headquarters here, as well as district and local committee offices have come under attack on several occasions over the past few years.

CPI(M) state committee member Ratan Das said the state's law and order situation has "hit its nadir".

"People of this state have never seen such a rule under which the opposition party's state headquarters, district and local committee offices are attacked and its leaders stopped from carrying out political activities.

"Candidates could not submit their nomination for the civic polls due to threat and intimidation. A large section of voters was stopped from exercising their democratic rights in Lok Sabha polls and by-elections," Das added.

-With PTI Input