Mamata Banerjee rules out Tripura CM’s role in attacking TMC Cadre, accuses Amit Shah

Taking up the battle with BJP for Tripura up a notch, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee on Monday, alleged that Union Home Minister Amit Shah was behind the alleged attack on TMC workers in Tripura. Visiting the injured workers at Kolkata's SSKM Hospital, Banerjee claimed that goons who had attacked her nephew Abhishek were sent to Tripura on the same flight as the TMC General Secreatary. Dismissing Tripura CM Biplab Deb's involvement, she said he did not have the audacity to order such attacks.

Mamata: Home minister behind attack on TMC 

"Such attacks would not have been possible without the Union home minister's active support. He is behind these attacks which were carried out in front of Tripura Police as it remained mute spectators. The Tripura chief minister doesn't have the audacity to order such attacks," she said.

Elaborating on the attack, she said, "BJP is a monstrous party. From Assam to UP they didn't let us enter. Abhishek (Banerjee) was given a bulletproof car later or else he would have been badly hurt. Goons were being made to sit in the same flight on which Abhishek (Banerjee) was traveling. We will win Tripura". Banerjee had earlier visited Tripura on August 2, when his convoy was also allegedly attacked by BJP workers.

On Sunday, fourteen TMC workers including Debangshu Bhattacharya, Tania Poddar, Sudip Raha were arrested for alleged COVID violation and later released on bail, after TMC General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee's intervention. Banerjee informed that he will be escorting the cadres back to Kolkata as they had been denied medical attention after sustaining 'severe injuries'. Police said the 14 TMC members were arrested for violating Covid restrictions by travelling after 7 pm when a night curfew comes into effect.

Recently, a 23-member I-PAC (Indian Political Action Committee) team was detained at Agartala airport by Tripura police citing COVID violations. I-PAC, which is Mamata Banerjee's poll strategist, had arrived in Agartala for a political assessment ahead of state polls in 2023. The team, which was holed up in an Agartala hotel, were later given unconditional bail after top TMC MPs intervention.

TMC eyes Tripura re-entry with Mukul Roy's return

Since the return of veteran Mukul Roy's return to TMC, the Mamata Banerjee-led party has been eyeing to make inroads into Tripura yet again. Roy, who had been instrumental in bringing six Congress MLAs to TMC and later to BJP in Tripura in 2016, has allegedly reached out to the rebel MLAs in BJP in June. Reports state many MLAs have been disgruntled with CM Biplab Deb and seek his replacement. Immediately, BJP's top leadership including general secretary BL Santosh and organising secretary for Northeast Ajay Jamwal rushed to Agartala to meet the MLAs. 32 of 36 BJP MLAs attended the meeting, while others were allegedly poised to quit. BJP wrested Tripura from 25 years of CPM rule in 2018, ushering Biplab Deb's maiden term.