In a startling incident that has ignited political tensions, the opposition CPI(M) recently accused individuals allegedly backed by the BJP of a destructive bulldozer attack on its party office in Pratapgarh, West Tripura.
Jitendra Chaudhury, the Leader of Opposition (LoP) and CPI(M) State Secretary, stated that the alleged perpetrators arrived at the local committee office in the early hours of Saturday, around 1:30 AM, with a bulldozer and proceeded to vandalize the premises.
Chaudhury asserted that his party possesses video evidence clearly depicting the vandalism carried out by what he described as BJP-backed miscreants.
The official CPI(M) Twitter account also shared details of the incident, tweeting: “No halt to RSS-BJP’s assault on the democratic institutions in Tripura. Today, between 2-3 AM, BJP goons bulldozed the CPI(M)’s Pratapgarh LC Office at the outskirts of Agartala city.” The tweet also included an image purportedly showing the damaged office.
Chaudhury further criticized the incident, stating it reflects the BJP and RSS’s “respect for democratic values.” He accused the ruling BJP of “looting public funds and destroying the democratic atmosphere of the state” after coming to power on what he called “false promises.”
He condemned the vandalism as a “cowardly act carried out under the cover of darkness” and expressed dismay over the police’s inaction on the complaint filed by the party.
When contacted, BJP District President Ashim Bhattacharjee declined to offer any comments regarding the matter.
Adding to the allegations, CPI(M) District Secretary Ratan Das highlighted that this is the seventh instance of their party office being targeted since the BJP government assumed power in Tripura.
Das detailed the latest damage, noting, “This time, they have destroyed the front gate and the doors of the office. It was clearly a pre-planned attack, yet the police remain inactive, and no arrests have been made.”
Authorities confirmed receipt of a formal complaint regarding the incident.
Subrata Debnath, the Officer-in-Charge (OC) of the East Agartala police station, confirmed that the JCB (bulldozer) allegedly used in the attack has been seized and a full investigation is currently in progress.