Agartala: Kubjhar village in the Kailashahar sub-division of Unakoti, Tripura, became the scene of unrest today, April 12th, as a demonstration against the Waqf (Amendment) Bill escalated into violence. A procession of over a hundred minority Muslim individuals, advocating for the repeal of the legislation, reportedly clashed with security forces stationed to manage the situation.
The rally, which took place in the border village adjacent to Bangladesh, was reportedly spearheaded by MD Badrujaman, the Kailashahar District President. According to Rati Ranjan Debnath, the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of the Northern Range, the initial assembly was peaceful. He stated that the participants were expected to disperse after a meeting and were not authorized to conduct a rally.
However, the situation took a turn when the protestors allegedly deviated from the planned schedule. DIG Debnath explained to India Today NE, “All of a sudden, they took out a rally and started moving towards Kailashahar city. We had placed barricades to prevent them. After covering some distance, when the rally reached the Murar Dukan area, a group of youths had a face-off with the security forces and tried to push them back. They also attempted to damage the barricades. Later, all of a sudden, they started pelting stones at our security personnel. We tried to stop them and prevent them from carrying out such activities. However, many of our security personnel were injured, and we had to disperse the gathering.”
Following the incident, DIG Debnath assured that the situation in Kubjhar is now under control. In response to the unrest, Tripura Police sources indicated a significant deployment of security personnel throughout the Kailashahar sub-division to preempt any potential further disturbances.
Separately, on the same day, a similar demonstration concerning the Waqf (Amendment) Bill was held by minority Muslims in the Sonamura sub-division, which falls under the Sepahijala district. Notably, the Sepahijala district is characterized as a Muslim-dominated area.