Tripura violence: AICC team arrives, meets CM

A three-member AICC team led by senior MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Monday called on Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha regarding the alleged attack on party workers and leaders after by-poll results were announced on June 26.

Agartala: A three-member AICC team led by senior MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Monday called on Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha regarding the alleged attack on party workers and leaders after by-poll results were announced on June 26.

The team also met Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee president Birajit Sinha who was among the 19 people injured in the clash that broke out between workers of the party and the ruling BJP in front of the grand old party's headquarters here, TPCC media in charge Asish Kumar Saha said. In the by-elections to four assembly seats, the BJP won three and the Congress one. The CM is one of the three winning candidates of the saffron party.

The BJP has unleashed terror across the state. The party's district headquarters in Khowai and a party office in South Tripura's Belonia subdivision were set on fire on Sunday, Asish Kumar Saha said. The three AICC members arrived in Agartala on Monday to assess the situation following the clash. CPI(M) state secretary Jitendra Chowdhury condemned the "attack" on the opposition leaders and workers since the announcement of the by-election.

Our party office was ransacked at North Tripura's Halflong area. We heard that the vehicles of IPFT MLA Brishketu Debbarma and another leader were torched at Khowai on Sunday. We appeal to the police to stop the violence immediately and arrest the attackers," he said. The ruling BJP, however, denied allegations that the party's workers attacked opposition activists.

It was the Congress that had started the violence in Agartala after winning one seat yesterday. Every person has the right to self-defence. If the opposition continues violence, BJP workers will resist, BJP spokesperson Subrata Chakraborty said. He said that Chief Minister Manik Saha has already asked the police to handle the situation with iron hands to maintain law and order. (PTI)