BJP-IPFT clash continues despite truce over chairman issue

A Correspondent

Agartala, July 9 : Despite heats over selection of Chairman of various Block Advisory Committees has subsided, tension between the supporters of the two partners of the ruling alliance, the BJP and IPFT, still persists in different places which some time erupting into clashes.

A similar incident has been reported from Gaburchera ADC village under Hrishyamukh Assembly constituency in Belonia sub-division of South Tripura district where the supports of the BJP and IPFT clashed each other on Sunday evening injuring at least seven persons.

The tension started when a group of IPFT supporters visited each house of the village and instructed all inmates to attend a meeting in the house of Leda Singh Tripura in the Mog Para and said it is mandatory.

BJP supporters protested against it and launched a counter campaign that attending the IPFT meeting is not mandatory but optional. The clash started when supporters of both the parties came face to face.

However, the situation came under control after a police contingent led by SDPO Soumya Debbarma reached into the village and took control. A police picket has been posted in the area to prevent further escalation of tension.

Ashok Baidya, a local leader of the BJP rushed to the area and talked to the party workers. He later said that the CPI(M) workers in the guise of IPFT workers were behind the incident. He urged both the BJP and IPFT workers not to step into the trap laid by CPI(M).

It may be recalled that several incidents of clashes between the supporters of two alliance partners occurred in last month following dispute over which party will have chairman in which block. However, following interference of senior leaders tension subsided but the process for selection of chairman remain halted indicating uneasy between the partners of ruling alliance.