Tension erupted in Chottakhola, South Tripura, after police stopped a CPIM memorial rally for late leader Badal Chandra Shil over law and order concerns. The incident triggered protests, political confrontation, and fresh allegations between CPIM, villagers, and the ruling BJP.
A tense situation unfolded in Chottakhola under Belonia subdivision on Wednesday after police stopped a CPIM memorial rally organised in memory of late party leader Badal Chandra Shil, citing concerns over a possible deterioration in the law and order situation.
The rally was organised by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) to pay tribute to Badal Chandra Shil, the party’s candidate in the last Zilla Parishad elections, who died in 2024 after allegedly being assaulted by a group of locals. Shil, 49, had sustained critical injuries in the attack and later succumbed while undergoing treatment in Agartala. Since the incident, the CPIM has repeatedly alleged that the ruling BJP was behind the attack, an allegation denied by the ruling party.
Police had initially granted permission for the procession. However, authorities decided to stop the rally midway after receiving information that a large number of villagers had gathered to oppose the march. According to police officials, the gathering mainly consisted of women who had blocked the road through which the procession was scheduled to pass.
The villagers claimed that seven residents of the village had been falsely implicated in the murder case of Badal Chandra Shil. Although the accused were recently released on bail, the deceased leader’s family approached the High Court seeking cancellation of the bail. Following the court’s intervention, the accused were sent back to judicial custody, leading to resentment among sections of the villagers.
Police officials stated that allowing the rally to proceed could have resulted in a direct confrontation between the two groups. As a precautionary measure, security personnel stopped the procession before it reached the protest site.
The police action led to a heated exchange between CPIM leaders and officers. Leader of Opposition and CPIM State Secretary Jitendra Choudhury urged the police to allow the procession to continue but was refused. During the argument, Choudhury criticised the district police administration and made remarks against the Superintendent of Police, prompting a strong objection from Additional SP of South Tripura, Suman Majumder, who urged the senior political leader to maintain decorum.
Former MLA Sudhan Das also engaged in a verbal confrontation with the police while party workers raised slogans against the administration.
Addressing supporters, Choudhury alleged that the state’s law and order situation had deteriorated and accused the government of allowing anti-social elements to influence the administration. He asserted that the CPIM would continue to organise programmes in the area and intensify its political campaign.
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Despite the confrontation, police managed to prevent any physical clashes, and the situation remained under control. Authorities maintained that the decision to halt the rally was taken solely to prevent any untoward incident and ensure public safety.
