Bail granted... all your resources will fall short: Abhishek to Tripura CM

KOLKATA: Circumventing the challenges posed by 'vindictive politics' of the BJP-led Tripura government, with absolute resilience and composure, Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Sunday showcased the political acumen of a national leader by ensuring release of 14 TMC leaders, who were arrested by the police there on alleged charges of Covid norm violations. Leading from the front, Banerjee rushed to Tripura after his party colleagues sustained injuries in an alleged attack by BJP workers there.

After TMC leaders were released on bail against a deposit of Rs 50,000 each, Abhishek tweeted: 'Bail granted to all @AITCofficial workers who were arrested in Tripura. Satyameva Jayate! I'll be taking them to Kolkata as they have sustained severe injuries & were denied medical attention. @BjpBiplab you can keep trying but all your resources will fall short! MARK MY WORDS.'

On his second visit to the state in the past six days, Banerjee on Sunday went straight to the Khowai police station, where the party's youth leaders were kept. Even as about 300 BJP supporters had gathered outside the police station and chanted 'Jai Shree Ram' slogans, Banerjee didn't back down from his demand before the Tripura police amid the hostile situation. Rather, like a fearless leader, he questioned the role of police in the state, which allegedly turned a "blind eye" to the Covid norm violations by BJP supporters as they created ruckus outside the police station or attempted to block him on the way. "You are carrying the Ashok Stambh on your shoulders and not the emblem of lotus (the poll symbol of BJP)," he cautioned the SDPO there.

Lambasting the Tripura police for its partisan attitude, Banerjee said the end of BJP in Tripura had begun.

He alleged that there was a "jungle raj" in Tripura. "It is really funny that those who had orchestrated the attack on Trinamool leaders were spared and on the contrary TMC leaders were arrested. It appears that there is a different set of laws framed by Biplab Deb in Tripura, which is a part of the Indian Union. If BJP thinks that by flexing muscles and by damaging some cars, they will be able to scare Trinamool away, they are living in a fool's paradise. Though the Assembly election is about 17 months away, be rest assured BJP will be defeated in the election," Abhishek dared.

He alleged the Trinamool leaders had been told by the police not to go out in the night and stay at the police station as BJP goons had been loitering out of the police station and they would not be able to give them protection.

The leaders stayed back, following the advice. Early in the morning, they were arrested under the Disaster Management Act. BJP, which always speaks about democracy, has murdered democracy in Tripura," Banerjee added.

The TMC national general secretary said that the vehicle of Subodh Bhowmick had been smashed on Sunday and he was injured when BJP goons hurled stones at his vehicle. "They also damaged the vehicles of the lawyers who had gone to the court to appear on behalf of the Trinamool leaders," he claimed.

Trinamool leaders from Bengal, Bratya Basu, who is also the Bengal Education minister, Kunal Ghosh state secretary of TMC, and Dola Sen party's Rajya Sabha MP had also reached Tripura on Sunday morning.

TMC MPs will stage a demonstration at the Gandhi statue in Parliament House on Monday to protest against the attack on party leaders in Tripura and indifference of the police towards the BJP workers who had orchestrated the attack.

Earlier, members of an I-PAC team that had visited the state to conduct some survey for TMC, was allegedly detained in a similar fashion.

"There is absolute lawlessness. The people are not secured under the BJP rule. Trinamool knows very well how to oust the BJP in a democratic manner," Abhishek said.

Banerjee left for Kolkata with Trinamool leaders. Sudip Raha, who received a head injury and needed immediate treatment. The other injured leaders also needed immediate medical assistance as they had not been given even minimum treatment in Tripura by the police.