• Abhijit Nath, NET Correspondent, Tripura

Agartala, February 27, 2022: Tripura Pradesh Congress Coordination Committee member and former MLA Asish Kumar Saha on Saturday said that a committee shall be formed by the All India Congress Committee (AICC) to assess the ground situation of the political party in Tripura and prepare a plan to set the strategies for the upcoming assembly election in the state.

Speaking to the reporters at Congress Bhavan here in Agartala on Sunday afternoon, Congress Coordination Committee member Asish Kumar Saha said “People are in panic after the horrible incident staged by the alleged ruling BJP miscreants at two places in the capital city of Tripura.”

“As soon as leaders Sudip Roy Barman, Szarita Laitphlang, Gopal Roy and others stepped up on the dais of the joining programme at Kamarpukurpar area near BJP’s Banamalipur (assembly constituency) mandal office, within two minutes, BJP-backed ‘Gundas’ wearing helmets with the slogan of ‘Joy Sri Ram’ attacked and vandalized the stage”, he alleged.

He said “Later, staging a rally in different streets of Agartala city, BJP workers with the instigation of saffron party state leaders pelted stones and bricks on the Congress Bhavan building leaving several injured. In connection to these two incidents since Saturday afternoon till late evening, we have filed two FIRs with two police stations in Agartala city. But till now, no arrest has been made.”

Being asked about filing of cases with police station, Saha said that two FIRs have been lodged with East Agartala and West Agartala police stations against four leaders of Pradesh BJP comprising of ICA minister Sushanta Chowdhury, party’s state vice-president Rajib Bhattacharjee, general secretary Papia Datta and Yuva Morcha state secretary Vikki Prasad.

He also said that the police had taken a suo-moto case and arrested eight Congress party workers.

“Hundreds of people and Congress party workers were attacked yesterday, but the Home department played a role of mute spectator. To foil the joining programme, BJP played a disgusting role”, said Saha adding that the Pradesh Congress party demanded resignation of Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb, as he is also looking after the Home department.

PCC leader and member said “Next week, a high-level panel of the AICC will be formed with the consent of party’s national president Sonia Gandhi, general secretary Priyanka Gandhi and MP Rahul Gandhi along with state in-charge Dr Ajay Kumar. The panel will visit Tripura soon and assess the ground situation to chalk out a strategy for the upcoming assembly election.”

Speaking to media persons, AICC secretary Szarita Laitphlang alleged “The present BJP-led government had murdered democracy in Tripura. The ruling party and government make every possible attempt to suppress the voice of opposition. The entire civil and home administration had collapsed”.

Targeting Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb, Szarita said “People elected you so that they can feel safe, but everything had become opposite. In the past one week, Asish and Sudip were attacked at Golaghati, PCC president Birajit Sinha attacked at Ambassa, and yesterday, Congress Bhavan was attacked. We will not step back to raise our voice against the government and will form a strong government in 2023”.