Six injured in BJP-CPI-M clash in Tripura

At least six persons were injured in a clash between ruling BJP and opposition CPI-M at Dhanpur in Sipahijala district of Tripura on Monday, police said.

The clash took place when a large group of CPI-M leaders and workers led by Leader of the Opposition, Manik Sarkar was on way to Kathalia in Sonamura subdivision to attend a scheduled party programme and was stopped on the way by about 100 BJP activists who blocked the road near Dhanpur market.

The saffron party activists shouted slogans like 'Go back Manik Sarkar" and also those demanding return of the deposits with ponzi scheme company Rose Valley.

Sarkar was accompanied by two local CPI-M MLAs Shahid Chowdhury and Shyamal Chakraborty.

Sonamura sub-divisional police officer, Banoj Biplab Das said the clash took place after an altercation between the two sides. A BJP activist was injured and the party's local office was damaged by the CPI-M workers.

He said the police asked the CPI-M leaders not to go ahead as the situation was volatile, but the party's workers then formed a human chain and accompanied Sarkar who then walked to Baspukur, a village three km from Dhanpur. The BJP put up another barricade at Baspukur leading to another clash with the CPI-M workers in which one supporter of the Left party and four saffron party activists were injured, he said.

The police had to burst tear gas shells to disperse the warring sides and bring the situation under control, the SDPO said. Sarkar and the CPI-M workers then left for Kathalia, where the rally site was located. Later addressing the gathering Sarkar, who is also the former chief minister thanked those who joined the CPI-M programme. "Those who overcame several obstacles and made this programme successful are today's heroes. I congratulate all of you. A strong message has been sent to the entire state that CPI-M can resist (the BJP workers)", Sarkar said.

"We have to fight back. We have to resist. We can't keep our heads down anymore," Sarkar said and encouraged party workers to hold protests in future.

The BJP Tripura unit in its official Facebook handle said that Manik Sarkar was the mastermind of political terror during the 25-year-long Left rule that was dislodged by the saffron party in 2018. It alleged that Sarkar along with his ''goons'' attacked BJP karyakartas, damaged motorbikes belonging to the common people and damaged shops at Dhanpur market on Monday.

Addressing a press conference at BJP office here, state Minister for Information, Culture and Youth affairs, Sushanta Chowdhury held Sarkar responsible for the entire incident.

"We believe in democracy not in violence. But, we are also ready to respond to CPI-M in the language they understand. If they think BJP karyakartas are weak, they are wrong," Chowdhury told reporters.

He also announced that the BJP will hold protest at Kathalia market on September 8 to protest against the incident and appealed to party activists from across the state to join it.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)