New Delhi: Former Tripura chief minister Manik Sarkar’s convoy was attacked on the evening of November 16 at Rastarmatha area of the state’s Sipahijala district. The veteran Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader was rescued from the site without injuries and escorted back to Agartala, said the district police.
Party officials told The Wire from Agartala that Sarkar was returning to the capital city in the evening after attending a meeting, held to commemorate the November Revolution, in the CPI(M) office at Bishalgarh area of the district when a large crowd of people hurled stones at his convoy passing by Rastarmatha, situated about 25 km from the state capital.
- According to local news reports, trouble began in the afternoon after “BJP supporters” assembled near the CPI(M) office at Bishalgarh and damaged the vehicle of MLA Narayan Choudhury.
He was accompanied by senior party members Bhanulal Saha (former finance minister) and Sahid Choudhury (former minority welfare minister) besides two MLAs Narayan Choudhury (Kamalasagar) and Shymlal Chakraborty (Sonamura).
According to local news reports, trouble began in the afternoon after “BJP supporters” assembled near the CPI(M) office at Bishalgarh and damaged the vehicle of MLA Narayan Choudhury. Choudhury, who was inside the car, was reportedly saved by his driver from the attack.
Thereafter, Sarkar, who was invited to the occasion as the main speaker of the meeting, was heckled by the “BJP activists”. A statement issued by the party to the press said the “BJP supporters” stopped party members from entering the premise to attend the meeting.
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“Sensing trouble, a large contingent of police and TSR (Tripura State Rifles) was pressed into action to control the violent mob,” said a Tripura Times report. It quoted a CPI(M) leader as saying, “BJP has created a new precedent here. A former chief minister was gheraoed. This is scandalous. There were hundred hooligans. Tripura is not safe.”
Sipahijhala SP Kulwant Singh told reporters that he visited the site of disturbance and deployed TSR jawans to control the situation. The meeting thereafter took place, but the CPI(M) leaders were holed up in the office the entire afternoon. Sarkar’s convoy was attacked while returning to Agartala in the evening.
When asked about the incident, BJP state spokesperson Ashok Sinha told The Wire, “I don’t think those people went there as BJP supporters. Yes, there was a skirmish and the police took action. Earlier, it was a Left Front government, now it is a Tripura government. Police has been instructed by chief minister Biplab Deb not to look at the political colours of the attackers unlike before. There will be issues like this, it happened in the earlier regime too, but one should look at how the police are tackling it which is the government’s job.”
Zilla parishad president’s house attacked
On November 15, senior CPI(M) leader and South Tripura zilla parishad president Himangshu Roy’s vehicle was pelted with stones, allegedly by “BJP activists”, in Belonia, located about 90 kms from Agartala.
Roy was on his way to the district magistrate’s office to lodge a complaint against an attack on his house in Barpathari area in South Tripura by “BJP activists” on November 13. Roy alleged that he was being pressurised by “BJP hooligans” to resign from his post along with other elected members of the CPI (M).
Media reports quoting police officials said a crowd of about hundred people pelted stones at Roy’s vehicle. Policemen protecting him also came under attack and ten were injured. Police thereafter resorted to a baton charge and shot tea gas shells, injuring 18 others. Reports said police registered a suo motu case in connection with the clash.