BJP-Congress clashes trigger tension in Tripura; several injured

Several ruling BJP supporters were injured at Charilam in Sepahijala district of Tripura Monday allegedly after police and Tripura State Rifle troopers resort to lathi-charge to bring the situation under control and give safe passage to just joined Congress supporters and leaders many of whom left the party in power and joined during a program there in presence of several senior Congress leaders.

The incident occurred in the constituency of Jishnu Dev Varma, Deputy CM of Tripura who later in the evening visited the Tripura Medical College and Dr BRAM Teaching hospital to know about the condition of the injured party supporters who were rushed there for treatment.

Speaking to reporters Dev Barma raised that the joining program of Congress was totally illegal as police have denied a permission for holding any political activity there. 

He alleged that Congress supporters had pelted bricks towards his party people who were agitating against the illegal political program of the Congress.

However, the Deputy CM did not deny that the BJP supporters were injured in police action and said, “If they (Congress workers) are throwing stones to our supporters they are not going to keep quiet, maybe somewhere else they have made it up but the first question is when police had denied permission, how can Congress hold meeting of such senior people including MLA Sudip Roy Barman, Ex MLA Asish Kumar Saha, TPCC president Birajit Sinha and former TPCC president Gopal Chandra Roy? Had it been meeting of Youth Congress, I could have understood but they are all top and senior most leaders.”

“BJP has already lodged a police complaint and everyone has to comply by law. They always say that there is no rule of law in Tripura and they are the one who always violated the law and after that they are the one who have been complaining,” he added.

During the skirmish one Mohar Mia, who claimed to be son of a BJP leader of Matabari constituency in Gomati district and was returning from his in-laws along with his wife and infant child sustained critically head injuries.

Mia in front of the media and police repeatedly alleged that he has been injured by BJP goons.

This happened as he was misidentified as a Congress supporter who supposedly had come for the joining program. 

He was rescued by police and rushed to the Dr B R Ambedkar hospital in Agartala where the BJP injured supporters were also brought. 

In the meantime a section of BJP supporters including a large number of women and youth blocked the National Highway in protest as they raise objections to the Congress joining program but police scattered that with mild lathi charge. 

Again some miscreants started damaging Congress flags and banners in front of the local party office, following which police had to again go for lathi charge and asked the Congress leadership to leave that area beside assuring them that all of their supporters will be safely sent to their houses.

Congress leader and former MLA Asish Kumar Saha claimed some 600 people from 153 families on the day left BJP and joined Congress  at Charilam on Monday afternoon and which was informed to the local police authorities but was denied permission wasn’t given citing COVID rules but party went ahead to conduct the programme.

He alleged that BJP goons tried to disrupt the Congress programme when police came into action and disrupted them but on the way back to Agartala, the Congress leadership came to know that some miscreants tried to burn the Congress office at Charilam beside damaging party’s flags and in police action few BJP supporters were injured but the Congress supporters kept away from taking law into their hands.

In the evening a Congress delegation also met IG law and order in the police headquarters in Agartala and complained about the alleged atrocities of the ruling party. 

Later speaking to reporters Congress leader Asish Kumar Saha threatened that in coming days if Congress supporters are bound to take law and order in their hand in self protection then the administration and police will be totally responsible for it.

Today Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha during an interaction with the media when asked about the police action on his own party workers at Charilam he said his priority is development and for which peace is precondition and his government is working for that.