Biplab Deb govt turned brazen, disregards SC, says Abhishek

KOLKATA: After Tripura police, on Sunday, arrested Saayoni Ghosh, Trinamool Youth Congress president, on charges of attempt to murder and Trinamool workers were assaulted at the premises of police station, party's national general secretary, Abhishek Banerjee said Biplab Deb government in Tripura had become so 'unabashedly brazen' that now even Supreme Court orders didn't seem to bother him.

"@BjpBiplab has become so UNABASHEDLY BRAZEN that now even SUPREME COURT ORDERS DOESN'T SEEM TO BOTHER HIM. He has repeatedly sent goons to attack our supporters & our female candidates instead of ensuring their safety! DEMOCRACY BEING MOCKED under @BJP4Tripura #NotMyINDIA," he tweeted, attaching a video of the alleged attack on Trinamool workers. The video shows a person bleeding while a group of policemen are standing.

Moreover, Abhishek Banerjee couldn't visit Tripura on Sunday as flights were not being allowed to either take off or land at the airports in the northeastern state beyond 7pm. Sources said Abhishek would visit Agartala on Monday morning.

Meanwhile, TMC tweeted: "This is the HORRIFIC state of affairs in Tripura under @BjpBiplab's Gunda Raj! While our leaders & workers are being MERCILESSLY ATTACKED every moment, @Tripura_Police continues to shield the @BJP4Tripura assailants! Urging the Hon'ble Supreme Court to take strict actions." The party also attached the video of a man profusely bleeding.

A delegation of TMC MPs will meet Home minister Amit Shah on the issue of alleged police brutality in Tripura, party sources said. They will also seek the appointment of the President of India.

Trinamool will also move the Supreme Court on Monday to inform it about the absolute lawlessness in Tripura and how party candidates and workers had been beaten up by the goons backed by BJP flouting the Supreme Court order which had instructed the Tripura government to ensure safety and security to all the candidates.

Furthermore, in response to the alleged attack on TMC workers, the party's leaders will also stage a protest in the national capital.

According to TMC, Tripura police had reached the hotel where Saayoni was staying and called her for interrogation to the station. It had been alleged that she was not told about the case. "Saayoni Ghosh and some other TMC leaders, including Kunal Ghosh, reached the Agartala East police station. Some BJP workers wearing helmets and holding sticks attacked TMC workers inside the police station," TMC alleged. The police looked the other way and did not arrest those involved in the matter, alleged TMC.

Trouble began on Saturday night when Saayoni's car allegedly hit a person who had gone to attend the political meeting of Biplab Deb. The police interrogated her for several hours and later arrested her in the afternoon. She was arrested under sections 153, 153 ( A) 307 and 102B of IPC. She will spend the night in police lock-up and will be put up before the Court on Monday. Ghosh alleged that Saayoni's car was damaged and Subol Bhowmick's car was ransacked.

The alleged attack created ripples in Bengal where the TMC and the BJP were engaged in a war of words.

"As the BJP is mortally scared of TMC, they deliberately did the drama to foil the meeting of Abhishek Banerjee which is scheduled to be held on Monday," said party leader Kunal Ghosh. Calling Biplab Deb-led Tripura government as "barbaric and inhuman" Saugata Roy, veteran Trinamool leader and Lok Sabha MP, said: "The incidents of violence have taken place under the instruction of Biplab Deb. Our workers have been assaulted and even the candidates have not been spared. Despite repeated complaints the police did not arrest the BJP backed goons."

"Such inhuman behavior on the part of Tripura police has crossed all past precedence. Biplab Deb thinks that by using brute force they can scare Trinamool. The game is not so easy," said Sushmita Deb.

However, Kishore Burman, BJP leader said TMC leaders had come to disturb "the peace loving people of Tripura." "The state government will not tolerate any attempt to disturb peace," he maintained.