Tripura: At least 20 CPI(M) workers injured in stone pelting incident, party alleges BJP hand

CPI (M) Belonia divisional secretary Tapas Dutta said the attack was perpetrated by a group of ‘BJP supported hooligans.’ “A group of BJP supported hooligans attacked us near the police station as we were proceeding ahead with a rally of the Jan Ekta Adhikar Manch. We demanded probe into the Rafale aircraft purchase controversy, the resignation of Defense Minister Nirmala Sitaraman and constitution of a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for investigating the scam. Officer-in-charge of the local police station and Sub Divisional Police Officer were present when we were attacked,” Dutta added.

The CPI (M) leader added that at least 20 CPI (M) supporters including himself, the party’s South Tripura district secretary Basudeb Majumder, Executive Member of Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) Parikshit Murasingh and others were injured in the attack.

An FIR has been lodged at the local police station against 10 BJP supporters. Reacting to the CPI (M)’s allegation, BJP spokesperson Ashok Sinha said that the communist party was accustomed to making baseless and politically motivated allegations. “It is a principle with BJP to avoid being indulged in violent attacks. Our party had nothing to do with it, if some local people attacked them, BJP can’t be blamed for it,” Sinha said.

Protest rallies were held at Ambassa in North Tripura on Friday, and another is planned to be held at Agartala in the evening. The CPI-M protest comes a day after Congress organised a nationwide protest outside CBI offices on Friday.