Tripura violence : Joint Fact-Finding Team Attacked in Tripura by Unknown Miscreants: Left and Congress MPs Allege BJP Workers

 

A fact-finding team comprising members of Left parties and Congress, including MPs and MLAs, was attacked in Tripura's Sepahijala district on March 5. The team had arrived in Agartala to investigate the post-poll violence in the state. Reports suggest that while the police claim that the team was attacked by unknown miscreants, Congress MP from Assam, Abdul Khaliq, who was part of the team, alleged that the attackers were Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers who pelted stones. Some of the vehicles in the convoy were vandalised in the attack. Assistant Inspector General (Law and Order) Jyotishman Das Chowdhury stated that no one in the eight-member team was injured in the attack. One person has been detained in connection with the incident, and raids are on to identify and arrest other miscreants.

The delegation comprised MPs, MLAs, and local leaders of the Left and Congress parties from Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu. The MPs were divided into three teams and visited different parts of Sepahijala, Gomati, West Tripura, Khowai, and Dhalai districts during the day to assess the extent of violence that had allegedly taken place since the poll results on March 2. The CPI(M) stated that the delegation was visiting various violence-hit areas of West Tripura, Sepahijala, and Khowai during the day.

CPI(M) MP E Karim, Congress MP Abdul Khaliq, and AICC general secretary Ajay Kumar were among those who landed at Nehalchandrangar market and were attacked by miscreants raising slogans of 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai.' Senior CPI(M) leader Rakhal Majumder stated that one vehicle was severely damaged, while two more cars were also vandalised. The team was informed that some 20 shops were gutted in Nehalchandranagar in Bishalgarh. They went to visit the affected people and assess the situation when they came under attack.

The fact-finding team is expected to stay in the state until March 12, after which it will submit a report. The CPI MP Binoy Viswam tweeted that the issue would be raised in the next Parliament session, which begins on March 13. The CPI(M) has demanded the immediate arrest of all miscreants responsible for the attack. Most of the post-poll violence cases were reported from Sepahijala and Khowai districts. Chief Minister Manik Saha asked the police to take stern action against the miscreants to maintain peace and tranquillity. In the Tripura election, the BJP-IPFT government returned to power for the second consecutive term as the saffron party won 32 seats in the 60-member assembly, while its ally, the Indigenous Peoples' Front of Tripura, secured one constituency