Tripura Congress Gheraos Police HQ Over Rising Crimes and Political Violence; Accuses Cops of Favoring BJP

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Posted in Featured, Northeast, Tripura
Abhijit Nath, NET Correspondent, Tripura

Agartala, September 23, 2024: Tripura’s Opposition Congress staged a gherao of the state police headquarters and the office of Director General of Police (DGP) Amitabha Ranjan on Monday. The Congress leaders protested what they termed a breakdown in law and order, alleging a surge in crimes against women and politically motivated violence across the state.

Led by state Congress president Asish Kumar Saha, along with former minister and MLA Sudip Roy Barman and former Pradesh Congress chief Pijush Kanti Biswas, the delegation submitted a memorandum of demands to the DGP. The opposition leaders expressed frustration over the police’s alleged failure to curb rising crime and demanded immediate action.

After the meeting, Saha addressed the media, accusing the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government of creating an atmosphere of fear and repression. “A fascist rule is going on in Tripura,” Saha stated. “Voters were not allowed to exercise their franchise in the recent panchayat elections. Many Opposition candidates were prevented from contesting the polls, and those who did were subjected to violence and harassment in multiple areas. Crimes against women are also on the rise. People have lost faith in this government.”

Saha further called upon the police to act impartially, adding, “We have asked the DGP to ensure strict action is taken to restore law and order in the state. If the situation doesn’t improve, we will launch a state-wide gherao of police stations.”

The Congress also accused the police of acting as “puppets” of the BJP, claiming that ruling party politicians were complicit in shielding those engaged in unlawful activities. This accusation comes amid a fresh exchange of corruption charges between Congress leader Sudip Roy Barman and Tribal Affairs Minister Bikash Debbarma of the BJP.

Barman had recently alleged widespread corruption in a Rs 1,400-crore World Bank-funded project aimed at improving the socio-economic conditions of tribal communities. He accused Minister Debbarma of misusing his office to amass wealth illegally. In response, Debbarma denied the allegations and threatened to file a defamation lawsuit against Barman.

Speaking in the state Assembly earlier this month, Debbarma defended the project, stating, “The project is being implemented according to established rules, and there is no basis to the accusations of corruption.”

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