Tripura: BJP worker shot dead in Dhalai district

In a shocking incident, a leader of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Tripura, Kripa Ranjan Chakma, was gunned down on Saturday by miscreants.

Agartala: A 37-year-old BJP worker was shot dead by miscreants at his residence in Tripura's Dhalai district on Saturday, police said. Three persons were arrested in this connection.

A group of gunmen entered the house of Kripa Ranjan Chakma in Jalachandra Karbari Para area and opened fire at him, a senior officer said.

BJP district committee member Ashis Bhattacharjee, local MLA Shambhulal Chakma, the saffron party Janajati Morcha district president Hangsa Kumar visited his house and condoled the death.

'His murder is a case of conspiracy ahead of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) elections. We demand immediate action against those who killed our active party worker,' BJP spokesperson Nabendu Bhattacharjee said.

The High Court of Tripura had ordered the state government to conduct elections to the 30-member TTAADC within May 17 this year.

The term of the previous council expired on May 17, 2020, but its elections were not held in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic situation.

The TTAADC came into being under the sixth schedule of the constitution in 1985.