TMC leader arrested in Tripura, party plans protest in Delhi today | Latest News India - Hindustan Times
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TMC leader arrested in Tripura, party plans protest in Delhi today

ByPriyanka Deb Barman, Hindustan Times, Agartala
Nov 22, 2021 02:43 AM IST

TMC will hold protests in the national capital on Monday after Tripura Police arrested their youth leader from West Bengal, Sayani Ghosh, in Agartala on Sunday.

The Trinamool Congress will hold protests in the national capital on Monday after Tripura Police arrested their youth leader from West Bengal, Sayani Ghosh, in Agartala on Sunday for allegedly trying to disrupt chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb’s civic poll rally the day before, the party informed.

TMC chief Mamata Banerjee is expected to be in Delhi today. On Sunday, TMC leader Sayani Ghosh was arrested in Tripura.
TMC chief Mamata Banerjee is expected to be in Delhi today. On Sunday, TMC leader Sayani Ghosh was arrested in Tripura.

A group of 15 TMC members of Parliament will be reaching Delhi on Sunday night and have a meeting with President Ram Nath Kovind on Monday over the alleged “continued” political violence in Tripura. Party supremo and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee is also expected to be in the Capital on Monday afternoon on a four-day visit, party insiders said. She had earlier said that she wanted to discuss a host of issues with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

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On Monday, TMC’s youth wing leader Ghosh will be produced before a local court in Tripura. The charges against her are grave: promoting enmity, criminal conspiracy and even attempt to murder.

Ghosh was booked on Saturday under sections 153 (promoting enmity between different groups), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on the ground of religion), 506 (criminal intimidation), 307 (attempt to murder) and 120B (criminal conspiracy).

“We got a complaint and accordingly summoned her. Based on the statements of the witnesses, we arrested her,” said additional superintendent of police Jagadeswar Reddy. “Four more people were with her at that time. We are trying to arrest them as well,” Reddy said without elaborating on the attempt-to-murder charge.

Ghosh’s counsel, Shankar Lodh, contested this and said she was returning from a political programme in Dhalai district’s Ambassa on Saturday when her vehicle came to Ashram Chowmuhani in Agartala where a poll meeting of chief minister Deb was underway.

“Someone told her ‘Khela Hobe’ and she replied to the same politically. Being a lawyer, I will not comment on political matters. But a political slogan can’t be unconstitutional. If someone threatens to kill someone, that might be considered unconstitutional,” Lodh said.

TMC leader Sushmita Dev alleged that the police went to the hotel where Ghosh was staying on Saturday night and asked her to report to the police station the following morning. While she was being interrogated on Sunday, some TMC leaders who were present outside the police station were assaulted by some Bharatiya Janata Party cadres, Dev alleged.

“The main motive of the BJP is to disturb TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee’s rally here tomorrow (Monday). We are with Sayani,” Dev told the reporters.

Police said that some people were attacked by some unidentified miscreants and two were injured. “We have filed a suo motu case and will arrest them when they are identified,” Reddy said.

But BJP spokesperson Nabendu Bhattacharya rubbished the allegation. “We don’t consider Trinamool Congress as our opponent and our activists didn’t attack them. They should also restrain themselves from using any such words that are not welcome,” he said.

But the TMC will hold protests in the national capital on Monday while their national general secretary, Abhishek Banerjee, will lead a procession in Agartala. The party delegation in Delhi will also seek an appointment with Union home minister Amit Shah.

Meanwhile, TMC started a Twitter storm on Sunday evening. “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,” TMC tweeted around 8pm on Sunday.

HT spoke with TMC general secretary Kunal Ghosh over the phone who was in Agartala.

“Violence is going on at the Agartala women’s police station where TMC youth wing president Sayani Ghosh has been kept in custody after her arrest. Goons stormed inside the premises and attacked us in the afternoon and once again in the evening. Even a journalist was injured. We were trapped inside till a senior police officer rescued us and took us to a safe place late in the evening. Such attacks in a police station can only be seen in movies,” Ghosh said.

“The BJP government in Tripura is blatantly violating the orders of the Supreme Court which said a few weeks ago that the civic elections in the state have to be fair and democratic. This is contempt of the apex court. We will raise these in Delhi,” said Kalyan Banerjee, TMC Lok Saba member.

(With inputs from HTC in Kolkata)

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