Central BJP team visits Tripura after attacks

A central team of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Monday visited Tripura to take stock of the situation following attacks on party cadres allegedly by supporters of the ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M).

The three-member delegation, led by S.S. Ahluwalia, who is in charge of the party's affairs in the northeast, rushed to Sipahijala district in western Tripura, and South and Gomati districts in southern Tripura immediately after their arrival here.

They also noted statements of the villagers.

The BJP delegation, which also comprises parliament members Tarun Vijay and Satyanarayan Jatia, visited some rural areas where clashes reportedly took place after the July 15 panchayat polls.

The delegation, before leaving for Delhi, is likely to meet acting Governor Padmanabha Balakrishna Acharya Tuesday.

"The CPI-M workers and members let loose a reign of terror and attacked the opposition party supporters in different parts of the state after the panchayat elections. Many people, including women, were injured in these attacks," BJP's Tripura unit president Sudhindra Dasgupta told reporters.

Dasgupta, who is also accompanying the central team, said the delegation after returning to New Delhi may submit a report to the party's central leaders about the prevailing situation in Tripura.

This is the first BJP delegation visiting any northeastern state after the central government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi assumed office May 26.

In a significant political development, the BJP - for the first time - secured majority in five gram panchayats and won 141 seats, defeating candidates of Left parties in many other gram panchayats in the July 15 local bodies' election.

Dasgupta and other BJP leaders were allegedly attacked by CPI-M workers last week at Jatrapur village in western Tripura when they went there to meet BJP supporters who were reportedly assaulted earlier by Left party members.

The BJP workers led by senior party leaders subsequently held demonstrations in front of the state police headquarters in Agartala and other districts.

The CPI-M said the allegations against its workers were false and imaginary.

"Dasgupta's vehicle (when they visited Jatrapur village) hit four CPI-M workers at Jatrapur. Following this, other CPI-M workers rushed to the spot and protested against the incident," CPI-M leader Nakul Malla later told reporters.

"The BJP to get political mileage has been exaggerating the political situation in Tripura," Malla said.