Ban on internet across Tripura, prohibitory orders at Madhav Bari

AGARTALA: Prohibitory orders have been clamped for an indefinite period in West Tripura’s Madhav Bari area where at least 23 people were injured, including six in police firing, when protesters opposing the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill clashed with police during the 11-hour northeast bandh on Tuesday.
Sub-divisional police Officer (SDPO) Prankrishna Das said the police launched a search operation at Madhav Bari and Dasharambari in West Tripura district on Tuesday night during which one country-made gun and a machete were recovered.“The situation is completely under control now,” the SDPO added.
The Tripura government, in an official notification, has banned SMS and internet services, including broadband, across the state till Thursday to prevent escalation of violence.
Though there is no fresh report of violence, additional security forces have been deployed in the area to thwart any untoward incident amd maintain normalcy. Government offices, shops and market places in Jirania, Mandai and Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (ADC) headquarters at Khumlung were closed and a few vehicles were seen plying on the Assam-Agartala national highway.
SP (West Tripura) Ajit Pratap Singh said police have inputs that armed picketers opened fire first, prompting the security personnel to retaliate in self defence.
On the other hand, BJP’s state committee has accused former transport minister Manik Dey of instigating local youths and hatching a conspiracy to start a communal violence on Tuesday. “We have information that a few CPM leaders were in the crowd with arms, The bullets taken out of the bodies of the six persons injured in police firing on Tuesday were fired from countrymade guns. This was proved after the recovery of one such gun from the area where the clashes took place,” said Roy Barman. However, the CPM state committee denied the allegation and described it as ‘an attempt attempt to malign the party.’
Two of the protesters who sustained bullet injuries have been shifted to Kolkata and are out of danger now. The rest are being treated at the Agartala Govt Medical College.