Tripura: BJP-IPFT internal dispute intensifies as BJP President gets heckled

The palpable political tension prevailed at Khumulwng, Tripura on Thursday took a strengthened look after BJP state president Manik Saha and other political leaders faced intimidation from IPFT workers.

The BJP President and his team of leaders, who went to Khumulwng in order to partake in a crucial organizational meeting and a subsequent joining programme, was interrupted by a group of IPFT workers sitting in a nearby party office.

The IPFT workers pelted stones and hurled abuses on the BJP leaders and tried to disturb the normal atmosphere, police said.

According to sources, the BJP had convened a meeting of its tribal wing—Bharatiya Janata Janajati Morcha. Apart Dr. Saha, MP Rebati Tripura, General Secretary of BJJM Pratik Kishore Debbarman and formed MDC Patiram Tripura also joined in the meeting. Not less than, 65 families from IPFT and CPIM joined the saffron camp during in the joining programme.

However, while returning from the meeting at around 2:30 pm, the source said, a number of IPFT activists sat on a nearby party office pelted brickbats and stones at the BJP supporters. Three among the thousands of supporters sustained injuries due to the attack. The most interesting part of the attack was that despite adequate security measures and police escort the miscreants braved to attack the BJP workers.

Speaking on the issue, BJJM General Secretary Pratik Kishore Debbarman said, “We will go in a legal way. Despite police escorts and adequate deployment of forces 20 to 25 miscreants pelted stones at our party workers. If miscreants can display such audacity that they can attack people in spite of police deployment, it is indeed, it is crystal clear as to what the general public are facing”.

Also read: Tripura: Class 10th results declared, Gomati district records highest pass percentage

On what transpired in the meeting, a party insider said, the BJP is keen to restructure its base in the tribal areas to fetch better results in the ensuing ADC polls, which might have drawn flak from the junior ally—IPFT since it was eyeing at the ADC after the ADC elections.

The BJP state President—Manik Saha said to have inspired the party workers to stay calm and work for the betterment of the party in rural helmets. The party president, he said, had also asked the party workers not to fall prey to the empty promises and false propaganda.

According to police, though the situation was by and large peaceful in the area there were indications of some tension in certain areas, explicitly, in those areas wherefrom the newcomers belong. “We have deployed enough forces—TSR, CRPF and police to tackle the situation”, a senior police official said.

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