Agartala, Nov 3 (PTI): Four Congress supporters were arrested on Thursday from Tripura’s Sepahijhala district in connection with clashes between the activists of the ruling BJP and the Opposition party, a police officer said.
They were also arrested on charges of attacking security personnel, the police officer said.
Three Congress workers were injured when supporters of the ruling BJP clashed with activists of the Opposition party leading to a counterattack, the police officer said.
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The Congress workers had come under attack allegedly by BJP supporters when they were installing party flags at Routkhola in Sepahijhala district on Wednesday afternoon.
Of the three injured Congress workers, one Sikander Miah was admitted to GBP hospital here.
After news of the incident spread, a group of Congress supporters launched an attack on saffron party workers injuring a few of them, the BJP alleged.
The Congress claimed that moments after the attack on BJP workers, armed activists of the saffron party chased away the opponents.
Security personnel lobbed tear gas shells and fired in the air to disperse the mob, a senior police officer said.
Stones were hurled at the police force while they were trying to disperse the mob.
“A suo motu case has been lodged against 17 Congress supporters for an attack on the public and police personnel. Out of the 17 named accused in the FIR, four persons have been arrested and forwarded to the court,” said officer in charge (OC), Bishalgarh police station, Badal Chandra Das.
Prohibitory order under section 144 CrPC clamped in Routhkhola and its adjacent areas after the incident, was lifted on Thursday.
“The Opposition parties are trying to destabilise the peaceful atmosphere in Bishalgarh by using muscle power and we will not allow it,” said BJP’s Mandal president Sushanta Deb.
He also lauded the role of the police in defusing tension in Bishalgarh subdivision.
Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president Birajit Sinha condemned the attack on the Congress workers at Routkhola.
“Our party office was set ablaze and our workers were attacked by BJP supporters. It is very painful that the police took action against Congress workers but showed leniency towards criminals,” he said.
The Opposition CPI(M) also protested the attack on the Congress office and party supporters by ‘BJP-backed goons’.
“The CPI(M) has been targeted by the ruling party for the past four and half years. Now, the BJP has started attacking Congress workers. We will render moral and political support to the Congress for the restoration of peace in Tripura,” CPI(M) leader Partha Pratim Majumder said.
