Khowai (Tripura): As many as 14 Trinamool leaders were arrested under several bailable and one non-bailable sections in Khowai early on Monday morning and were later granted bail from a local court on the condition of Rs 50,000 personal bond. Soon after their arrest, TMC MP and the party's second in command Abhishek Banerjee landed in Tripura and rushed to Khowai by road to get them released. Banerjee was accompanied by a host of heavyweight TMC leaders that include Bratya Basu, Dola Sen, Kunal Ghosh and several others.
The showdown between both the parties triggered last Saturday when a group of TMC leaders were attacked in Ambassa town of Dhalai district in Tripura. During the attacks, Sudip Raha, one of the TMC leaders had even sustained head injuries and a number of vehicles were vandalised. Meanwhile, the TMC leaders somehow reached Khowai, however, the local police prevented them entering the town citing law and order deterioration and were later advised to stay there for the night.
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But, all of a sudden, all the 14 leaders including Debangshu Bhattacharjee were arrested on charges of violating Covid norms. Banerjee who declared his Tripura tour late on Saturday evening through a tweet shortly after the ghastly attacks, went straight to Khowai to get his leaders released. Upon reaching Khowai with a team of lawyers and senior members of his party, he was shown black flags and slogans. However, he entered the police station and sat on a Dharna. Meanwhile, the 14 TMC leaders were produced before the Court and after hearing the arguments of both the sides they were granted bail late in the evening.
Amid all this, Trinamool leader Subal Bhowmik, who recently switched to TMC from the Congress having held a senior post in the BJP for a long time, was also attacked. His vehicle was also allegedly targeted by BJP miscreants. However, Bhowmik made it safe without facing any injuries in the clash, having received just a cut in his hand.
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Banerjee threw a straight challenge to the Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb saying that TMC cannot be stopped by these techniques. Later interacting with the media in front of Khowai police station, Banerjee said, "I don't want to blame the administration. They have to follow the dictates of their political bosses to hold their official posts. But, this is going to end soon. Biplab Deb's BJP, if it thinks, can thwart TMC through intimidation, they are living in the heaven of fools".
Banerjee claimed that the BJP government in Tripura had miserably failed to live up to the expectations of people. "People voted for BJP rejecting the 25 years old government of CPIM with hopes and aspirations. But, they are left bare handed. Wherever you see in this state, you will find anarchist mindset. Lawyers are being attacked, senior leader Subal Bhowmik who was in BJP for a long time was attacked. This can't continue", he said.
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He also raised questions on the role of police saying, "In India, the rules should be equal for all. When our workers are being booked under disaster management act, BJP supporters in large crowds raised slogans against us. Isn't it a violation of Covid norms? Our leader Sudip Raha sustained serious injuries in head and the police did not even give him private medical assistance".
Banerjee had left from Tripura late in the evening in a chartered flight with all the TMC leaders who were arrested for better treatment in Kolkata. Sources in the TMC say that the Trinamool MPs will raise the issue in parliament and protest in front of the Gandhi statue. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb reacting to the matter wrote on his twitter handle, "Some powers trying to put hurdles in the path of Tripura's development. Conspiracies are being hatched but people of Tripura will foil all these conspiracies."
