NEW DELHI: Hours after anti-social elements attacked the Tripura state headquarters of the party, Congress on Sunday condemned the mindless attack that left its state president Birajit Sinha with head injuries.
Congress was in a celebratory mood after its candidate Sudip Roy Barman won the Agartala assembly bypoll beating Ashok Sinha of the BJP. However, the celebration turned sour when goons, allegedly backed by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), attacked Congress supporters, stabbed a youth party member and pelted stones at the party’s state headquarters right across the West Agartala Police station.
Condemning the attack, senior party member KC Venugopal said, “The Indian National Congress strongly condemns the mindless attack on Congress Bhawan and brutal assault on Tripura PCC president, Birajit Sinha and other Congress workers by BJP goons, after the thumping victory of Congress party candidate Shri Sudip Roy Barman in the Agartala by poll.”
A three-member delegation of the Congress party led by Members of Parliament Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Gaurav Gogoi and Dr Naseer Hussain will visit Tripura on Monday to take stock of the situation and make a report on this heinous attack.
“This barbarous attack happened even as the police passively looked on while BJP goons vandalized properties and carried out blatantly violent attacks on our party office bearers. It is utterly shameful that the police stood as mute and complicit spectators while the goons stormed the office and attacked our office bearers. The BJP goons were freely roaming with rods and sticks and threw stones inside the office. The PCC President sustained injuries and was admitted to hospital following the attack,” the Congress general secretary said in a statement.
“Earlier, the BJP goons had mercilessly attacked Burman and he had sustained serious injuries. The desperate BJP is unable to accept the verdict of the people and they are once again letting loose their goons to attack our offices and office bearers,” the statement said.
“We demand an apology from the BJP president Shri JP Nadda and an investigation by Home Minister Amit Shah into why these attacks occurred. If the state government is unable to handle law and order then President’s Rule will be necessary,” Venugopal stated.
Meanwhile, Sunday’s assembly by-poll result means Congress stopped BJP from a clean sweep. The ruling party won three assembly seats with Chief Minister Manik Saha winning the crucial Town Bardowali seat by 6,104 votes against Asish Kumar Saha of the Congress.