BJP parliamentary team in Tripura to study situation

Aiming to intensify the party's campaign in Left-ruled Tripura ahead of assembly polls early next year, a BJP parliamentary team will visit the state on Saturday to gather feedback on the prevailing situation, a BJP leader said here on Friday.

"A three-member parliamentary team of the BJP, led by Meenakshi Lekhi, would visit at least three districts of Tripura on Saturday and Sunday to study the law and order situation," state BJP President Biplab Kumar Deb told reporters.

The team would talk to a cross-section of people and BJP leaders and workers on various issues, including the killing of television journalist Shantanu Bhowmik, to gather feedback on the prevailing situation, he added.

"There is lawlessness in Tripura. CPI-M cadres are attacking BJP leaders and workers almost every day and police remain inactive on the directions of the government," Deb said, adding his party would raise the issue in Parliament's Winter Session."

He said the BJP wanted a CBI probe into the September 20 murder of Bhowmik but the government had set up a Special Investigation Team which he claimed was a 'B' team of the ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M).

The other members of the BJP Parliamentary teams are Prahlad Patel and Saroj Pandey.

Meanwhile, at least 10 CPI-M and BJP members were injured in a clash between the two parties at Bishalgarh in western Tripura's Sipahijala district on Thursday night.

"We have deployed adequate security forces in the trouble-torn areas. Both CPI-M and BJP members are also organising rallies on Friday," Sipahijala police chief Sudipta Das told IANS over phone.

"Police authorities likely to take action against a Tripura State Rifles jawan who was also involved in the political clash."

Of the ten injured, seven are admitted to hospital.

--IANS

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