AGARTALA: Violent clashes erupted between the supporters of opposition Congress and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party sparked tension in Tripura’s capital city last night with both the parties making charges and counter-charges against each other for the violence.
A significant number of party workers from both parties sustained injuries, several party offices of both sides including the Pradesh congress headquarters came under attack.
To get hold of the situation and douse the tension, the administration clamped prohibitory orders under section 144 CrPC.
The Congress party claimed that BJP supporters first launched an unprovoked attack on a joining programme organized at Kamarpukur Par, Agartala.
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Tripura Pradesh Congress President, Birajit Sinha said, “The BJP workers all of a sudden came running close to the venue and started pelting stones targeting the dais. The whole was ravaged with stones and everything that came in front of the hooligans were reduced to pieces. Senior Congress leader Sudip Roy Barman sustained injuries at his hand”.
“The Congress party condemns such hooliganism in the name of politics”, said Sinha.
In retaliation, the Congress workers launched vandalism at the BJP local Mandal office and another booth office. The incident took place under the constituency of Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb.
Protesting the vandalism launched by the Congress, BJP took out a protest rally which turned violent as soon as it reached the Congress headquarters located at Post Office Chowmuhani.
The BJP supporters started pelting stones and brickbats at the Congress Bhavan and the Congress workers responded with flammable substances. The BJP alleged that petrol bombs were hurled at the BJP’s “peaceful rally”.
Union Minister of State Pratima Bhoumik narrowly escaped the attack.
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BJP general secretary Tinku Roy, vice president Rajib Bhattacharjee, general secretary Papai Datta and other senior leaders of the saffron party protested the attacks and demanded immediate arrest.
Tripura Information and Cultural Affairs Minister Sushanta Chowdhury was also present in the rally and claimed that when the BJP’s peaceful rally reached near the Congress Bhawan, some anti-socials who were hiding inside it threw petrol bombs on them. Chowdhury claimed that both Congress and CPIM were equally responsible for the violence.
West District Superintendent of Police, Bogati Jagadeeswar Reddy said, “The incident is really unfortunate. Law will take its course against those who are responsible for the incident. We will investigate it further. So far we didn’t receive any complaint”,
The SP however claimed that BJP didn’t take any prior permission before holding the rally late evening.
The prohibitory orders were clamped across Agartala city to avert the imminent tension late in the night.
“It is apprehended that there is every possibility of further Law & Order issues at night and the Additional Superintendent of Police (Urban), West Tripura, Camp at SDPO Office (Sadar) has requested to promulgate prohibitory orders to maintain Law and Order in following areas: Colonel Chowmuhani to B. K. Chowmuhani to Post Office Chowmuhani, Chandrapur to Ashram Chowmuhani whole area and Math Chowmuhani to Old Motor Stand up to Surya Chowmuhani, G.B. Bazar to Kumari Tilla area to Abhoynagar”, the order undersigned by SDM Sadar.