Agartala (Tripura), July 28: Police arrested the main accused person for the attack on BJP activists during the broadcast of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Mann Ki Baat’ programme on Sunday (July 27) at Asharambari in Khowai district of Tripura. Later, two more persons were nabbed in connection with the attack.
On Tripura Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha’s direction, the main accused was arrested hours after Tipra Motha Party (TMP) workers attacked BJP functionaries during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Mann Ki Baat’ programme on Sunday, police said on Monday.
Earlier commenting on the violence, general secretary of State BJP, Bipin Debbarma told the media, “The attackers, supporters of the BJP’s ally TIPRA Motha Party (TMP), warned the BJP activists saying that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Mann Ki Baat programme would not be allowed in the Tripura Tribal Area Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) areas”.
Notably, TMP is controlling the administration in TTAADC.
Khowai District Superintendent of Police Ranaditya Das said that so far, the main accused — Rintu Debbarma – has been arrested and an intensive search was on to nab the other attackers named in the FIR. This led to the arrest of two more – Tapas Debbarma and Sachindra Debbarma – were arrested. All the three were produced before the local Court today which remanded them to 14 days in judicial custody.
“There were 30 people named in the FIR. Several police teams are conducting a search operation to nab all the accused named in the FIR,” the district police chief told IANS on Monday morning.
Large contingents of security personnel led by senior police officials are camping in the Asharambari Assembly constituency in Khowai district to prevent any escalation of tensions.
The TMP headed by former royal scion Pradyot Bikram Manikya Debbarma is a junior partner of the ruling BJP and it has two ministers in the Cabinet headed by Chief Minister Saha.
The Chief Minister, who holds the Home portfolio, after visiting three of the nine injured BJP functionaries at the government-run Govind Ballabh Pant Medical College and Hospital here on Sunday night, had said that the police have been directed to take appropriate actions against the attackers.
“On Sunday, the manner in which Tipra Motha Party workers carried out the violent attack at Asharambari Assembly constituency during the ‘Mann-Ki-Baat’ program of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is utterly dangerous and undemocratic,” he had told the media.
Saha said that in this attack, many BJP Karyakartas were injured, three of whom are currently undergoing treatment at GBP Medical College and Hospital.
“I visited the hospital to enquire about the condition of the injured workers and gave necessary instructions to the doctors to ensure their speedy recovery,” he said.
The Chief Minister said that instructions have already been given to the police administration to take legal action against those involved in the heinous attack.
“The government wants to make it clear, no such shameless and violent attacks would be tolerated in any way,” he cautioned.
Asharambari Assembly Constituency where the attack took place is represented by senior TMP leader and Forest Minister Animesh Debbarma. According to Bipin Debbarma, the Chief Minister spoke with Minister Animesh Debbarma over the incident.
Political observers opined ‘warning’ on Mann Ki Baat is considered by the as a direct insult of the Prime Minister by goons. (Edited)
