“We’ll Walk If Needed”: Visiting TMC Leaders Protest After Vehicles ‘Blocked’ at Agartala Airport
Agartala, October 8: A six-member delegation of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), including three Members of Parliament and a West Bengal minister, arrived in Tripura on Tuesday following the vandalism at the party’s state headquarters in Agartala.
However, their visit took a dramatic turn soon after landing, as the team alleged that their vehicles were deliberately obstructed from entering the Maharaja Bir Bikram (MBB) Airport.
Agartala, Tripura: Six-member TMC team, including three MPs and a West Bengal Minister, staged a protest at MBB Airport after being unable to get vehicles to reach their party office on CR Road pic.twitter.com/dhGlRjfY8h
— IANS (@ians_india) October 8, 2025
The leaders, however, asserted, “We’ll Walk If Needed”.
The delegation — comprising MPs Pratima Mandal, Sushmita Dev, and Saayoni Ghosh, West Bengal Minister Birbaha Hansda, TMC State General Secretary Kunal Ghosh, and leader Sudeep Raha — claimed that three of the four vehicles arranged for their transport were prevented from entering the airport premises. With only one vehicle available and police allegedly refusing to allow them to travel in groups, the leaders staged a sit-in protest at the airport.
Kunal Ghosh expressed strong concern over the incident, stating, “The drivers who were supposed to take us to our party office were threatened and stopped from entering the airport.”
Echoing similar sentiments, MP Saayoni Ghosh said, “We are witnessing the systematic erosion of democratic principles. Being denied access to our own party office from the airport is not a mere inconvenience — it’s a reflection of the fear and hostility we face in Tripura. Such incidents have become routine, but today’s episode is particularly alarming.”
The TMC accused the ruling BJP in Tripura of orchestrating the obstruction, claiming the move reflected the BJP’s anxiety over Mamata Banerjee’s growing influence in the state.
According to the delegation, police officials present at the scene requested patience and cooperation to resolve the impasse but failed to make any concrete arrangements.
Despite the deployment of a large number of security personnel at the airport to maintain order, no logistical support was provided.
A senior police officer later clarified, “We are here to ensure security. Transportation arrangements fall under administrative coordination, not police jurisdiction.”
Frustrated by the deadlock, the TMC leaders declared they were ready to walk to their party office, where hundreds of supporters had been waiting for hours — many of whom had travelled from distant parts of the state, including Dharmanagar and Sonamura.
The delegation’s visit followed the vandalism at the TMC state office in Agartala, where miscreants allegedly ransacked the premises, tore down party flags, and assaulted workers.
The TMC claimed police were present but failed to intervene effectively. In response, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee dispatched the delegation to Tripura to express solidarity with party members and register a formal protest against what the party called “a collapse of democratic governance.”
Before departing from Kolkata, the visiting leaders addressed the media, accusing the BJP of fostering a culture of fear and political suppression in Tripura.
“We are prepared to face any consequence,” said Kunal Ghosh. “But in a democracy, violent attacks on the opposition — especially in the presence of police — must be protested and resisted peacefully.”
Recalling previous incidents, Ghosh said, “In 2021, Abhishek Banerjee’s convoy was attacked in Agartala. The pattern continues — our workers are still being threatened and intimidated. But we will not be silenced.”
Kolkata, West Bengal: On the attack on BJP leaders, TMC MP Saayoni Ghosh says, “In that incident, no Trinamool Congress workers or leaders had any participation…If the BJP thinks that by taking revenge by breaking our party office and they will gain any advantage in the Bengal… pic.twitter.com/1IcWp4nNRT
— IANS (@ians_india) October 8, 2025
Saayoni Ghosh added, “We strongly condemn any attack on people’s representatives. Mamata Banerjee herself visited MP Khagen Murmu at the hospital following the recent incident in North Bengal. But what happened in Tripura — where BJP-backed goons vandalized our office in front of police — poses a grave threat to democracy.”
The TMC has blamed the BJP for the violence, alleging it was a coordinated attempt to instill fear among opposition workers.
In an official statement shared on social media, the TMC said, “BJP-ruled Tripura has turned into a theatre of terror, where political violence is used as a tool of governance. Our office was vandalized as police stood by silently. This is part of a calculated campaign to silence opposition voices and undermine democracy.”
The Agartala incident comes amid heightened political tensions in the region, just a day after BJP MP Khagen Murmu and MLA Sankar Ghosh were assaulted during a visit to a flood-hit area in northern West Bengal.
While the TMC denied any involvement, the party said the unrest reflected public anger over the BJP’s remarks regarding central funds for rural employment schemes.
Despite growing concerns over their safety, the TMC delegation reiterated their resolve to continue standing against political violence and defending democratic values.
“We came here not to create unrest, but to stand with our people,” said Kunal Ghosh. “Tripura deserves democracy — not fear, intimidation, and silence.” (With inputs from IANS)
