Around 360 Janajati voters joined BJP in Charilam constituency on Friday amid protests staged by Tipra Motha workers.
The Tipra Motha workers reportedly staged protest—they pelted stones, attacked some BJP workers and vandalized a car and two wheelers following a joining programme of BJP at Herma community hall.
The Tipra Motha workers targeting the BJP’s joining programme at Herma. When Deputy Chief Minister Jishnu Dev Varma reached the spot, he also faced the agitation.
At a point of time, the situation turned volatile; even the police had to fire tear gas shells and resorted to mild lathi-charge.
The protest started with a road blockade staged at Herma from 9 am. Immediately, the Addl. SP and SDPO along with a large group of police reached the spot. Security forces in adequate numbers were also deployed.
Speaking to the media, the Deputy Chief Minister said, the protestors were not local. A group from Jampuijala was there in the agitation.
Later in a Facebook post, the Deputy Chief Minister mentioned, “It most unfortunate that Tipra Motha party workers and supporters tried to block the road, pelted stones, attacked our BJP workers and injured them. They also damaged cars and two wheelers.”
He continued, “It is most surprising that these people did not even follow instructions from their topmost leader, who asked them to disperse. It raises a question who actually is remote controlling these reckless and rowdy elements.”
Dev Varma also thanked the BJP karyakartas for their discipline and courage. He also appreciated the restraint shown by the police even under such provocation.
In the same social media post, Dev Varma wrote, “Thansa cannot be achieved by Danda on your own people.”
According to local sources, the protest made it clear that BJP would face a tough challenge in Charilam constituency in the 2023 assembly elections. (Courtesy: Tripura Times)
