AGARTALA: At least five BJP cadres were injured in an attack by villagers allegedly when the group had assaulted a CPM supporter after failing to set ablaze the local party office of the opposition party on Saturday night in the Amjadnagar area of South Tripura.
All the injured persons were shifted to Belonia district hospital and undergoing treatment.
Police said two complaints by both the parties were lodged and an investigation has been launched. No arrests have been made but additional forces have been deployed in the locality to ease tension.
While BJP MLA from Belonia, Arun Chandra Bhowmik, alleged that CPM cadres had made an unprovoked attack on their supporters to fan communal sentiments, CPM leader Tapas Datta accused BJP cadres of trying to block a party programme in the morning and attacking the party office and a local CPM leader when he tried to resist the attack.
Sources said clashes erupted between BJP and CPM supporters when allegedly a group of ruling party cadres led by Milan Miah and Bikash Majumder obstructed a CPM party programme on Saturday morning and demolished a martyr base in front of the office.
Later, they attacked two CPM local committee members — Alambir Hossain and Mohammed Ali — at their houses, destroyed valuables and also attempted to outrage the modesty of women. Alambir’s wife has lodged a complaint with the local police station against four persons but the police have not take any action, Datta alleged.
In the evening, the ruling party supporters allegedly assembled in the local market and tried to set the CPM office on fire and attack another Left supporter, Samsul Miah, and vandalised his shop. Then they allegedly stormed the house of Alambir and physically assaulted him, which turned the situation volatile.
Although most managed to flee, five of them were caught by the villagers and beaten up. After some time, police rushed to the spot and rescued them.
