Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha condemns Hezamara political violence, warns attackers will not be spared. BJP alleges targeted assault by Tipra Motha workers as police register cases and tighten law and order ahead of ADC polls.
Tripura Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha on Thursday expressed strong disappointment and concern over the repeated incidents of political violence in Hezamara, stating that “everything has a limit” and warning that continued attacks on Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers would not weaken the party’s resolve but strengthen it further.
Speaking to the media after visiting injured BJP workers admitted at GB Hospital, Dr Saha addressed the recent clashes in Hezamara, an area traditionally considered a stronghold of BJP ally Tipra Motha. The Chief Minister said the targeted attacks on BJP leaders and supporters reflected a disturbing trend of intimidation and breakdown of political discipline at the grassroots level.
“I have already made it clear that BJP workers cannot be stopped by resorting to violence. Attacks and intimidation only strengthen our morale and determination. We do not believe in a policy of tit-for-tat, but when our leaders and supporters organised a peaceful protest rally at the very location where our workers were assaulted the previous night, the troublemakers fled,” Dr Saha said.
The Chief Minister pointed out that such incidents highlight a lack of effective control by political leadership over their cadre. According to him, organised command and discipline within party ranks are essential to maintaining peace. “From what I understand, the leaders lack proper command over their workers. If that were not the case, such incidents could have been avoided. That is why I have stopped requesting leaders to restrain their workers,” he remarked.
Dr Saha further alleged that some political leaders publicly claim innocence and appeal for peace, while their workers allegedly engage in violence on the ground. “In public, they plead for peace and deny involvement. In reality, their workers attack our supporters. These self-contradictory ideals of politics are beyond my understanding,” he added.
The Chief Minister also revealed that even on the day of the incident, some leaders contacted him to convey birthday wishes. “I did not even mention the violence because I know it would serve no purpose,” he said, indicating his frustration with repeated assurances that fail to translate into action.
Meanwhile, Tipra Motha leader Rajeshwar Debbarma condemned the violence but claimed that the incident was the result of provocation. He alleged that a group of individuals, allegedly under the influence of alcohol, attempted to incite unrest in the area. “This kind of behaviour is undesirable. We appeal to the government to take firm steps to identify and eliminate such disruptive elements,” Debbarma stated.
In response to the incident, the Acting Superintendent of Police (SP) of West Tripura district visited Hezamara to assess the law and order situation. Police officials confirmed that two separate cases have been registered in connection with the clashes.
Speaking to the media, the Acting SP said that a suo-moto case was registered after the Officer-in-Charge of the local police station sustained injuries during the violence. “Names of ten accused have been included in the case, and investigations are underway,” the police official said, assuring that those involved would be dealt with strictly according to law.
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Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Dr Saha had reiterated that no one involved in the attack on BJP workers would be spared, irrespective of political affiliation.
Senior BJP leader Bipin Debbarma also visited Hezamara following the incident and interacted with party workers to assess the situation on the ground. Later, BJP supporters, led by Debbarma, organised a protest rally in the area, expressing strong resentment over the attack.
The protesters demanded immediate and stringent action against those responsible and accused Tipra Motha workers of deliberately targeting BJP supporters. Bipin Debbarma alleged that the violence occurred when BJP workers were attempting to set up a new party office in the Simna constituency.
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Demanding justice for the injured workers undergoing treatment at GB Hospital, Debbarma warned that the Tipra Motha party would face consequences in the upcoming Autonomous District Council (ADC) elections through democratic means. “We believe in democracy, and we will respond through the ballot, not violence,” he asserted.
The incident has once again raised serious concerns over political violence in Tripura and the need for stronger enforcement of law and order ahead of crucial elections in the state.
