Congress MPs visit Tripura, demand action and compensation over post-bypoll violence
The West Tripura district administration had imposed restrictions under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure in Agartala municipal areas till Monday morning.
Congress Parliamentary delegation led by Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury (second left) meets state Congress president Birajit Sinha (left), who was injured in post-election violence yesterday. A day after sporadic post-bypoll violence in Tripura left at least 20 people injured including the state Congress president and two others from both the Congress and the ruling BJP, three Congress MPs visited the violence-hit areas, met Chief Minister Manik Saha and demanded an inquiry as well as immediate action.
When bypoll results from four Assembly segments—Agartala, Town Bardowali, Surma and Jubarajnagar—were announced on Sunday, the mandate went in favour of the BJP except in the Agartala seat, which the Congress won to make a comeback to the Assembly.
Scattered incidents of violence were reported from different parts of the state. The Congress state headquarters was attacked, and several people were injured as Congress and BJP supporters came to blows in front of the West Agartala police station.
Among other incidents, a Congress activist was stabbed in Agartala; an office of the party was gutted in Khowai district; another one at Belonia in South Tripura was attacked; a CPM office at Dharmanagar in North Tripura was attacked; a vehicle of the ruling IPFT’s MLA Brishaketu Debbarma was smashed; and several houses and shops were attacked including a few in Agartala city.
Congress leaders and visiting MP delegation addresses media.
The West Tripura district administration had imposed restrictions under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure in Agartala municipal areas till Monday morning.
Expressing concern about the violence, the delegation led by the Congress leader in the Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, told reporters that he and his fellow Parliamentarians were assured by the chief minister of prompt action. “He listened to us, but what we are concerned about is that the CM is saying everything is not in his control. He said he was trying to bring everything under control and peace should prevail,” the Congress MP said.
The Congress delegation demanded the government pay for the treatment of the injured people, provide them compensation and ensure legal action against the attackers.
Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi said the people had “woken up” and were now aligning with the Congress, emboldened by the party’s Agartala win. He said the Opposition party would sweep Assembly elections early next year.
Naseer Hussain was the third MP in the Congress delegation, which will be submitting its report to party chief Sonia Gandhi.
Earlier in the day, Opposition leader Manik Sarkar visited violence-hit areas near Agartala city and alleged the ruling BJP had prevented people from voting and also rigged the elections. “On top of that, now they are attacking people. What is happening? Where is the government? The CM himself won with bogus votes. People are attacked. We are meeting them,” the CPM veteran said.
CPM state secretary Jitendra Chaudhury, who said violence occurred in areas outside the four bypoll constituencies also, called the polls “mockery of an election”.
“It has been proven that the BJP does not have any faith in the Constitution. They did not allow anyone to campaign before the polls, crippled the administration, did not allow genuine voters to vote, cast bogus votes using outsiders,” he alleged.
Meanwhile, the BJP took out a massive victory rally in Agartala. Speaking to reporters, state general secretary Papiya Dutta said people had voted for the BJP because of its developmental activities and would do so in the 2023 Assembly polls as well.
She denied her party workers were involved in the violence but said Congress supporters, jubilant after their Agartala win, had attacked BJP supporters. “We do not need to give out any message of peace. We are a party of peace and development. No BJP worker is involved in violence. They were themselves attacked. We went there to rescue them. If children are attacked, parents cannot sit back quietly,” she said.
The BJP has also accused the CPM and the Congress of staging violence to confuse people, create unrest and take advantage of the situation.
A police official said heavy security deployment was made in all sensitive areas.
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