Reported by: Mrinal Banik
Agartala: Tripura Police detained a group of ex-militants affiliated with the now-disbanded faction of the NLFT (National Liberation Front of Tripura) after they attempted to block a stretch of a national highway briefly in the Chandrasadhup Para area of Baramura in Tripura on Saturday.
The ex-militants called a 72-hour road blockade during the Durga Puja festivities. Two police constables were injured during a scuffle as officers removed the protesters from the road, police said.
The detained members were taken to the AD Nagar police lines in Agartala, a police officer said.
According to the officer, members of an NLFT group blocked the highway at Sadhupara on Saturday morning.
A Deputy Collector and Magistrate (DCM) initially appealed to them to clear the road and announced that they should end the blockade.
However, the protesters refused to comply and continued their demonstration.
Police subsequently intervened, citing public safety concerns and the ongoing Durga Puja festivities. The officer said the authorities acted to prevent disruption to public movement and avoid inconvenience to commuters during the festive period.
During the operation to detain the protesters, members of the group allegedly used force against police personnel.
Two police personnel identified as Prasenjit Das and Kajal Debbarma suffered injuries. Both were receiving medical treatment, the officer said.
Police said the decision to remove the protesters was taken to ensure the highway remained accessible and public safety was not compromised during the festival.
The group had called for a 72-hour blockade, putting forth a charter of demands pertaining to benefit transfers under the rehabilitation scheme approved by the Centre.