Over 70 injured in Tripura violence

AGARTALA: Violence between BJP workers and those from the opposition camp broke out in various parts of Tripura on Thursday after news of the saffron party's stellar performance in the Lok Sabha election started pouring in, leaving more than 70 people injured.
According to reports, as many as 55 counting agents of CPM were allegedly manhandled by workers of the ruling party in South Tripura, Sepahijala, West Tripura, Khowai, Dhalai and North Tripura and seven BJP cadres, who were attacked by workers of opposition parties, had to be hospitalized.
BJP alleged that 12 party workers were beaten up by CPM cadres to create an environment of terror in the state. While a few houses and shops were set ablaze in Jirania and Teliamura in West Tripura, an 80-yr-old woman was attacked inside her house in the Karailong area, sources said.
According to reports, IPFT supporters attacked BJP MLA from Golaghati Birendra Debbarma in the Jampuijala area and there were also incidents of bomb attacks on a number of houses in the Ramnagar area of Agartala and Lake Chowmuhani market in the heart of the city. While stones were pelted at the house of CPM state secretary Gautam Das in Ramnagar, bombs were hurled at the residences of CPM's Sadar subdivision committee secretary Subhashis Ganguly and veteran CPM worker Dipak Bhattacharjee.
Sources said CPM's district committee office in Ambassa was forcibly closed and the leaders were asked to pay at least Rs 1 lkah each to save their lives and properties. Both CPM and Congress have threatened to launch an agitation if violence doesn't stop.
The trauma centre of Agartala Govt Medical College (AGMC) treated at least 22 people on Thursday night. More than 17 road mishaps were reported in the state since Thursday afternoon when jubilant youths from the ruling party went into celebration mode.
Police said security arrangements were enhanced before the counting began as per the direction of the ministry of home affairs (MHA). "Surveillance in all the sensitive areas was increased besides normal patrolling," said a senior police official. He added that the nature of incidents indicate that the violence broke out because of personal enmity.
Chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb have urged the people to maintain peace.