Tripura Congress calls strike on Monday after attack on state party chief

“We had a pre-scheduled meeting at Bishalgarh. As I reached the venue, a group of armed BJP goons launched a murderous attack on me and my party colleagues, right in front of the police. They vandalised my car, leaving me with a serious injury to my left hand. My driver also sustained severe injuries,” Biswas said.

The state Congress chief said the police were silent spectators during the incident as they did nothing to prevent the assault on him.

Responding to the allegation, Sepahijala SP Krishnendu Chakravertty told this daily that the Congress leader had been warned several times against attending the party event on Sunday as there had been reports of possible law and order problems. He ignored the warnings and was adamant on continuing with the event, the SP added.

“We have received a complaint on the incident. We are registering a case and an investigation would be conducted to nab the culprits at the earliest,” the SP said.

About seven Congress activists were injured in the incident, party leaders said at a press conference in the capital on Sunday afternoon. They called on people to unite and remove the BJP from power.

“This is an undemocratic and barbaric government. It deserves to be toppled. We saw the CPI(M)’s misrule before it was removed from power. However, this government is worse than the previous one,” a Congress leader said.

The BJP dismissed the charges against party cadres saying it never resorts to violence. A state party spokesperson said the BJP believes in peaceful coexistence of all and doesn’t preach or practice terror like the CPI(M).