Agartala: Soon after the results of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) polls were declared on April 10, some parts of the state witnessed low-intensity, sporadic violence.The poll for the Tripura district council was held on April 6, for 28 elected seats out of 30. The results were declared on April 10, and the party of royal scion Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma – the Indigenous Progressive Regional Alliance (TIPRA) – swept the polls. The Bharatiya Janata Party followed with nine seats and one seat was won by an independent candidate. The Communist Party of India (Marxist), which ruled the district council for four terms straight, was wiped out, along with the Congress and Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT), which is in alliance with the BJP.“Some post-poll violence occurred in some parts of Tripura after the results were declared. We have registered some suo motu cases and we also received some complaints. We have arrested some persons and deployed adequate forces to maintain law and order. We have formed a special team consisting the CRPF and Tripura State Rifles (TSR) jawans to prevent further incidents and to arrest the accused persons. Section 144 has been imposed in some places based on requirement by the district magistrates and superintendent of police,” director general of police V.S. Yadav told The Wire on the phone.Also read: Tripura: Major Blow for BJP-IPFT as Pradyot’s TIPRA Sweeps District Council PollsThe BJP, which formed government in the state in 2018, ending 25 years of Left rule, has alleged that its party workers and supporters are coming under attack. The saffron party accused the opposition CPI(M) of instigating violence using TIPRA’s name since the poll results were declared.“BJP supporters and workers faced attacks in different parts of the state soon after the poll results were declared. The CPI(M) was behind the violence and we have noticed how CPI(M), in the name of TIPRA, instigated the violence,” state BJP spokesperson Nabendu Bhattacharya said.He also alleged that in some parts of the state, hooligans had ransacked houses and set fire to BJP party offices.“It has been said that 2018’s revenge is being taken. CPI(M) has already realised that it can no longer sustain itself and therefore it has chosen the path of violence. We are happy that our people did not retaliate and remained silent,” he said, adding that workers of ally party IPFT also came under attack and had been hospitalised.Nabendu has also said that they have filed cases with the names of some persons who were involved in the violence and hope that the police will soon take action.Violence-affected areas. Photo: Special arrangementSoon after the violence was reported, Section 144 was imposed in parts of five districts – Khowai, West, Sepahijala, Gomati and South – by the district magistrates.Rubbishing the BJP’s allegations, former CPI(M) member of parliament Jitendra Choudhury claimed that the saffron party has lost its balance because it had planned to rig the entire 28 seats of the district council during the poll, but the people resisted.“What they are saying is due to their imbalanced mind. Such incidents should not happen and we condemn it,” the former MP said.Choudhury has stated that the culture of post-poll violence was started by the saffron party in 2018 in the state.“In last three years, from March 3, 2018, this culture is prevailing. Chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb never appealed to his people to refrain from such violence. The chairman of TIPRA himself admitted that some of his people are indulging in such acts. The BJP instead of blaming the TIPRA, is blaming the CPI(M). This is totally irresponsible politics,” the veteran tribal leader told The Wire.Also read: Tripura: CPI(M), Congress Accuse BJP of Rigging TTAADC PollsMeanwhile, the chairman of TIPRA Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma cancelled the victory rally which was scheduled to be held on April 14 because of the violence. Debbarma also warned his party workers of expulsion if any of them was found to be involved.“I hate this culture of post-poll violence and I want to destroy it. I am already urging everyone [to stop]. I don’t see anyone as CPI(M), Congress, TIPRA or BJP, I look at them as Tiprasa (indigenous). It is not acceptable that our people are fighting within themselves in the name of a party. The home department should take strict action against the persons involved in the violence and I will suspend any of my party workers found to be engaged in such activities,” he told The Wire.
