Agartala, Oct 9: Each side is portraying itself as the victim. Leaders of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Tripura Pradesh Committee insist their October 7 rally was a peaceful protest and deny any damage to the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) office — “We haven’t damaged a single thing,” one BJP spokesperson said, calling it a token protest.
On the other hand, the AITC has released video of the wreckage and accused “BJP-backed goons” of carrying out the assault on its state party office in Agartala during the rally. Following their visit to Tripura, the AITC delegation also met Governor Indrasena Reddy Nallu on Thursday, October 9, and filed a formal police complaint, escalating their demand for accountability.
Both versions have been circulated via press statements and social media. A five-member AITC team flew to Tripura on October 8 to document the damage and demand action, emphasizing how each party is blaming the other for recent flare-ups of political violence.
Tension flared at Agartala airport soon after the AITC delegation’s arrival on Wednesday, October 8, morning. Party workers accompanying MPs Saayoni Ghosh, Pratima Mondal, Sushmita Dev, Birbaha Hansda, and Kunal Ghosh alleged that local authorities and transport operators, under BJP pressure, had refused to provide vehicles for them. Stranded for hours, AITC supporters staged a sit-in inside the airport premises, accusing the administration of obstructing their movement.
However, the Tripura BJP swiftly dismissed the allegation. At a press briefing at the BJP state party office on Wednesday, party spokesperson Nabendu Bhattacharjee said, “If political leaders travel to another state for party work, their travel arrangements are managed by their own organization. It is not the government’s responsibility to provide them vehicles.” He added that the administration’s brief delay at the airport was “a precautionary measure” to ensure safety and avoid a repeat of “unpleasant incidents” from previous AITC visits.
Bhattacharjee further claimed the Trinamool Congress “will never be able to take root in Tripura,” alleging that “people here do not tolerate infiltrators,” and criticized the party’s rule in West Bengal, claiming AITC had “lost all moral authority.”
He also defended the October 7 protest outside the AITC office, insisting BJP supporters only removed flags and posters and did not engage in ransacking. BJP state vice-president and Mahila Morcha chief Papiya Datta questioned why AITC leaders were in Tripura instead of addressing flood-affected areas in North Bengal.
The confrontation traces back to October 6, when BJP MP Khagen Murmu and MLA Shankar Ghosh were attacked while distributing flood relief in Jalpaiguri. Both were hospitalized, and the BJP blamed AITC-backed miscreants, while Mamata Banerjee visited Murmu and wished him a speedy recovery. Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the attack, calling it “outright appalling.”
The AITC alleges that videos show protesters vandalizing their office, including furniture and signboards, and claims the police did not intervene. Party MPs described the incident as “state-sponsored political terrorism.”
Meanwhile, on Thursday, the delegation met Governor Nallu and submitted a memorandum alleging political intimidation, escalating violence, and police inaction during the October 7 incident.
The memorandum demanded a judicial inquiry, prosecution of the perpetrators, accountability for police and administrative officials, adequate security for AITC leaders, and a public reaffirmation of democratic norms.
Addressing the media after meeting the Governor, AITC leaders said, “No amount of vandalism or cowardly attacks can halt our expansion. Their desperation only proves one thing — Tripura is slipping out of BJP hands.” They accused the ruling party of attempting to intimidate opposition voices and obstruct democratic functioning.
Later, AITC Tripura district president Saumen Dey lodged a formal police complaint at East Agartala Police Station, citing criminal trespass, intimidation, vandalism, and conspiracy under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (erstwhile sections of the IPC), and requested immediate FIR registration and stringent legal action against all involved.
While addressing the media outside the police station, AITC leaders said, “It has been nearly 48 hours since the cowardly attack on our Party office in Agartala, yet the Tripura Police has failed to take cognizance, let alone initiate an investigation or apprehend the culprits.”
The delegation returned to Kolkata later Thursday evening, concluding their one-day visit after raising concerns with both the Governor and the state police.