Tripura: CPI(M) stages protest ahead of state bypolls ; several prime roads blocked

AGARTALA: The opposition CPI(M) on Tuesday blocked several prime roads in Agartala city for a few hours, alleging that BJP-backed 'Bike Bahini' or biker gangs assaulted Left supporters while they were campaigning and setting up party flags, festoons, and other decorations in the area.

The state secretariat, MBB Airport, Govind Ballabh Pant (GBP) Hospital, schools, and offices are all located in Radhanagar, a busy intersection in Agartala. Students, patients, and other emergency traffic were allowed through while CPI(M) blocked the busy road for about an hour on Tuesday morning.

On June 23, Tripura will hold bypolls in four assembly constituencies. 

BJP-backed 'Bike Bahini' assaulted CPI(M) supporters while they were door-to-door campaigning, according to former MP and Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) leader Shankar Prasad Dutta. After the police assured them that action would be taken against the accused, the protest was called off.

Law and order and political violence are two major concerns raised by state opposition parties, including the Communist Party of India (Marxist), which recently claimed a spike in political violence against the opposition, particularly Left workers, since the bypolls were announced.

According to reports, Left-wing leader Krishna Rakshit claimed that 'biker gangs' are harassing Left-wing workers and demanded that the Election Commission take strict action.