Over 15 police personnel were injured and 8 arrested as anti-Waqf Amendment Act protests turned violent in Tripura. The demonstrations, led by opposition leaders, witnessed stone-pelting, clashes, and a heavy police crackdown.
Agartala April 12: A wave of anti-Waqf Amendment Act protests in Tripura turned violent on Saturday, resulting in injuries to more than 15 police and security personnel, confirmed a senior official of the Tripura Police. The protest was held on Saturday in two minority-dominated regions—Kailashahar in Unakoti District and Sonamura in Sepahijala District.
In Kailashahar, the situation escalated dramatically when protestors reportedly began hurling stones and bricks at deployed police units. The demonstration, led by the Joint Movement Committee, started from Tillabazar and was spearheaded by senior Congress figure Md Badruj Jaman. Authorities had anticipated possible unrest and had placed barricades and deployed heavy police presence along the march route.
The protest remained largely peaceful until the procession reached the Kubjhar area in Kailashahar today. There, according to police sources, a faction of demonstrators attempted to break through the barricades, prompting a scuffle. In response to the ‘aggressive’ behavior, police were compelled to use mild lathi charges and tear gas to disperse the crowd.
“A rally was taken out under Md Badruj Jaman’s leadership. When it reached the barricade near Kubjhar, some protestors tried to push through, leading to a confrontation. Several of our personnel sustained minor injuries during the chaos,” a senior police official said.
Among those injured were Kailashahar SDPO Jayanta Karmakar and Senior Inspector Jitendra Das. Superintendent of Police (Unakoti) P. Sudambika R., who recently assumed office, rushed to the spot to oversee security operations and control the situation.
Later in the evening, SP Sudambika R. confirmed to reporters that at least 15 personnel, including CRPF and Tripura State Rifles (TSR) jawans, suffered injuries in the incident. “We have filed a suo motu FIR. So far, eight individuals have been arrested in connection with the violence and have been presented before the court,” she stated.
However, Congress leader Md Badruj Jaman rejected the police’s claims. He alleged that the violence was triggered by unidentified outsiders and not by his supporters. “The trouble started when stones were thrown at police from nearby houses after the rally reached Kubjhar. Our members were not responsible. Rather than controlling the instigators, police responded with lathi charges and tear gas, injuring more than 50 innocent people,” Jaman claimed.
Tensions further escalated when a verbal altercation reportedly broke out between Jaman and SP Sudambika R. shortly after the protesters were dispersed. Later, Northern DIG Ratiranjan Debnath said situation is under control and calm.
Anti-waqf Amendment Act protest in Sonamura
In a separate but related development, another Anti-Waqf Amendment Act protest rally took place in Sonamura under the banner of Nagarik Adhikar Mancha. Thousands of demonstrators marched from the town’s old motor stand to Rabindra Chaumuhani, where a mass meeting was held to denounce the Waqf Amendment Act.
Local sources said, a section of protestors vandalized a fire service vehicle which was running to attend a distress call. The vehicle responding to an emergency in Aralia village near Sonamura was attacked on Saturday afternoon amid an ongoing anti-Waqf Amendment Act protest.
The Sonamura Fire Station received a distress call around 2:30 PM from one Jasim Uddin, reporting a fire in a rubber plantation. Responding swiftly, a fire truck (Reg No: TR-01-F-1198) left the station, sirens blaring, with seven personnel on board.
However, just 25–30 meters from the fire station, protestors from an anti-Waqf Amendment Act rally allegedly blocked the fire engine, hurled stones, and smashed its front windshield. The driver, Pankaj Debnath, was physically assaulted, and the rest of the crew was forced to remain inside the vehicle. The mob prevented the fire engine from reaching the fire site and compelled the team to return to the station.
However, just 25–30 meters from the fire station, protestors from an anti-Waqf Amendment Act rally allegedly blocked the fire engine, hurled stones, and smashed its front windshield. The driver, Pankaj Debnath, was physically assaulted, and the rest of the crew was forced to remain inside the vehicle.
The mob prevented the fire engine from reaching the fire site and compelled the team to return to the station. Sub-Inspector Shanti Tripura intervened and successfully protected the fire personnel and the vehicle from further harm.
Authorities have condemned the attack, calling it a serious obstruction of emergency services and a punishable offence. An investigation is underway to identify the attackers and take legal action.
The Sonamura rally featured speeches from prominent figures such as Dr. Zahirul Haque (General Secretary), legal advisor Jasim Uddin, and activists Anjan Shukla Baidya and Bimal Sinha from Agartala. Other speakers included Mufti Abdul Jalil and the organization’s president, Jalilur Rahman.
Speakers at the event accused the central government of infringing on religious freedoms through the controversial Waqf Amendment Act. According to them, the legislation undermines the historical and constitutional protections granted to minority communities post-Independence.
They emphasized that mosques, madrasas, and maktabs—classified as Waqf properties—are sacred assets donated by community members and should remain under community control.
“Until now, no government had interfered with Waqf property management. This new amendment threatens to undo decades of community stewardship,” said one speaker. Leaders from both the Indian National Congress and the CPIM attended the Sonamura gathering, extending political support to the protest movement.
However, the rally in Sonamura ended without any untoward incident till the report was filed.
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