Guwahati: At least 19 people including the Tripura Congress chief Birajit Sinha were injured following fights between BJP and Congress supporters on Sunday in front of the Congress Bhavan in Agartala.
Police reportedly turned to using tear gas to disperse the throng after conflicts broke out following the results of the by-elections for four assembly seats in the state. The area around Post Office Chowmuhani where the Congress Bhavan is located was deserted after the clashes.
Asish Kumar Saha, the state media coordinator for the Congress, reported that a group of BJP supporters attacked the party workers as they were returning to the headquarters with Sudip Roy Barman, the party’s victor in Agartala.
He said, “A large gathering of BJP supporters attacked Congress Bhavan as they were getting ready for lunch. One Congress worker, Romi Miah, was stabbed by BJP supporters while the president of the Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) received a brick to the head.
Saha claimed that the BJP Yuva Morcha leader’s gang threw bricks at the structure. He claimed that several of the parked cars in front of it sustained damage.
He further charged that while the incident was happening, the police did nothing.
Sushanta Chowdhury, the state’s minister of information and cultural affairs, responded by accusing the Congress of initiating the attack through its members. He claimed that the BJP workers were enraged when bricks were thrown earlier in the day at Shilpi Sen, a BJP corporator of the Agartala Municipal Corporation (AMC).
He declared, “The Congress-sponsored attack resulted in the injuries of about six of our party’s followers. After gaining one of the four assembly seats in the byelections, they are attempting to cause trouble. They have aspirations to retake power with CPI(M) support.
Three persons were hospitalised with injuries, according to police, although no FIR has yet been filed in connection with the incident.
An official said,” The TPCC president has been admitted to a private hospital. The wounded Congress supporter is also receiving medical attention. One BJP supporter, identified as Bishal Chakraborty, received head injuries and was administered 12 stitches.”