TMC-BJP clash in Tripura: 2 more arrested

Agartala, Aug 12 (PT) Two more Trinamool Congress activists of Tripura were arrested for their alleged involvement in last week's clash between the party and the BJP in Dhalai district, the police said on Thursday.

Fourteen other TMC leaders and workers were arrested earlier in connection with the clash that took place at Ambassa on August 7. They later secured bail. Police from Ambassa arrested Surajit Sutradhar, who was driving West Bengal TMC leader Debangshu Bhattacharya's car on that day, and Amal Bhowmick from their houses in Amtali area here on Wednesday night.

A local court remanded them to four days' judicial custody on Thursday.

Senior TMC leaders from West Bengal are of late visiting the NE state where the assembly election is due in 2023.

The arrests were illegal and politically motivated, claimed TMC Rajya Sabha MP Santanu Sen, who arrived here on Thursday and met the families of the two arrested persons.

“Police came from Ambassa and forcibly entered the house of Amal Bhowmik in absence of local police personnel and women staff. The Ambassa police arrested them without showing any reason,” Sen told reporters.

Freedom fighters were arrested during the British rule in this way, he claimed.

"There is no law and order in Tripura and police-raj is going on," he said.

When contacted, Officer-in-Charge of Amtali police station Siddhartha Sankar Dey said that one officer from it was with the team of the Ambassa police during the arrests.

The TMC had on August 7 alleged that two of its youth leaders from West Bengal were injured when their vehicle was allegedly attacked by BJP activists in Ambassa.

Denying the allegation, the BJP claimed that the TMC is a non-factor in Tripura, and West Bengal's ruling party is spreading the "virus of political violence" in the northeastern state, where "outsiders" are fomenting trouble.

Police said that two persons were attacked by a group of unidentified miscreants at Ambassa and their vehicle was damaged.

At least 14 leaders and workers of the TMC, including those injured in the attack, were arrested the next day in Khowai district for "violating Covid norms". PTI JOY NN NN