Agartala: Tripura police issued alert to it’s Assam counterpart along inter-state border to de-escalate tension which erupted following a series of attacks by some communal elements after a mosque, a few houses and two shops of Muslims were vandalised allegedly in a rally of Viswa Hindu Parisad (VHP) at Roa bird sanctuary of Panisagar in North Tripura.
The attacks were being made since Tuesday noon.
The district administration of North Tripura and Unokoti have clamped section 144 of CrPC in several locations including Tripura-Assam border at Churaibari and Kadamtala of North Tripura and bordering places like Tilla Bazaar, Irani and northern part of Kailashahar in Unokoti district since Tuesday night to manage the situation.
Besides, state police and Tripura State Rifles (TSR), BSF and CRPF have also been deployed in the mixed populated areas of both the districts. The extra security has been placed for the movement of vehicles on Assam-Agartala road in the turbulent areas of North Tripura district. The civil administration has urged the religious organisations of both Hindus and Muslims to be calm and vigilant over the fringe elements, official sources said.
“All measures have been taken to maintain peace and strict action will be taken against the accused persons involved in violence and attacks,” said DGP Tripura V S Yadav adding that the situation is conducive now and life would soon become normal.
According to report, VHP activists led by it’s leader from West Bengal Purna Chandra Mandal had brought out a protest rally from Panisagar town on Tuesday afternoon seeking assurance of security of minority Hindus in Bangladesh and exemplary punishment to the perpetrators involved in attacking Hindus and temples in that country.
The procession went to Roa area and turned violent after seeing a mosque and Muslim people. Allegedly, the activists vandalised a few shops and houses and later set them on fire. However, police didn’t take any action against the attackers that triggered reaction among Muslims in other parts of the state.
At night, around a thousand of Muslims came on the streets in Kadamtala area and allegedly attacked Hindu houses, shops and vehicles. To counter the attacks, Hindus in Churaibari area resorted to counter attacks on Muslims in the nearby villages. Several vehicles coming from Assam were attacked at night on National Highway, which forced the administration to impose section 144 in the entire area for two days.
After the report of attack on mosque and Muslims in Panisagar spread, a large number of Muslim families gheraoed Irani police station of Kailashahar at late Tuesday night seeking security of Muslims in Tripura. They alleged that Muslims have been targeted by a section of Hindus across the state after Bangladesh incidents but, no action was taken against doers of a single incident.
Apprehending the movement from neighbouring Karimganj district of Assam, Tripura police alerted it’s counterpart there and stepped up security along the inter-state border. The state government has also brought the matter to the notice of Assam government to maintain peace and tranquillity among the communities.
Meanwhile, opposition CPI-M, Congress and Trinamool Congress condemned the incidents and demanded arrest of the culprits involved in the incidents and legal action against them. They demanded that the state government should provide assistance to the affected shopkeepers and families.
“At the same time, it is calling on the people of all walks of life to maintain an atmosphere of peace and harmony everywhere without resorting to any kind of persuasion. We urge police and the administration to take appropriate measures to prevent such provocative and disruptive acts”, CPI-M said in a statement. (UNI)