Mar 13, 2017: Pitched battles between BJP and TMC supporters marred the joyous spirit of festival of colour. In the violence in Agartala today, at least 13 persons including five Police men and two scribes were injured while two cars were damaged. Vice President of State BJP, Subal Bhowmik also sustained injury while two TMC supporters were also injured in the clash.
Information available from eye witnesses revealed, one BJP supporter tried to fix Party flags in front house of Sandip Roybarman, brother of TMC leader and MLA Sudip Roy Barman. Altercation between Sandip Roy Barman took an ugly turn. Allegedly Sandip had assaulted the BJP supporter. The ‘assaulted’ supporter informed Party Office and a rally led by Subal Dey marched towards West Police Station to lodge protest against Sandip.
Meanwhile, a large group of TMC supporters also assembled in front of West PS. Police tried to keep both the groups apart by cordoning off them in opposite sides of each other. Slogans and counter slogans by TMC and BJP heated up the situation and ultimately culminated into stone pelting, pitched battle and chaos. Sporadic clashes and stone pelting continued for hours as Police tried to control the warring group by cordoning them.
DIG (Range) Uttam Majumder, District Magistrate of West Dr M Ramteke, SP Abhijit Saptarshi along with other senior officers rushed to the spot and tried to bring the situation under control. However, as two warring groups were in mood to give up even after administration announced Section 144, Police resorted to lathi charge to disperse BJP-TMC supporters.
In the melee, TSR jawans severely had beaten up two scribes while they performing their duties. Both the scribes were admitted to hospital. later veteran journalists along with Editors met the DIG and demanded exemplary punitive action against the Police Personnel who had beaten up two scribes even after knowing that these persons were media men. Editors and senior journalists gave DIG an ultimatum that the erring police personnel must be identified and punished within 48 hours. Delegates also demanded that administration should shoulder the medical expenses. The District Magistrate agreed and DIG also assured that proper actions will be taken against the TSR Jawan, Delegation of Journalists also submitted footage of the incidence.
The violence, though subsided, spilled over to other parts of the State. In Dharmanagar under North Tripura, BJP supporters reportedly ransacked a TMC Party Office.
