Agartala, Oct 23 (IANS) Several officials and a police officer were injured after a section of Tiprasa Civil Society (TCS) activists resorted to arson and looting of shops in parts of Tripura’s Dhalai district on Thursday evening during the ongoing 24-hour statewide shutdown, officials said.

The ruling BJP’s ally, Tipra Motha Party (TMP)-affiliated Tiprasa Civil Society (TCS), led by TMP MLA Ranjit Debbarma, observed a 24-hour shutdown across Tripura on Thursday in support of its eight-point demands, including the deportation of illegal migrants.

A senior official from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said that Chief Minister Manik Saha strongly condemned the incident and directed the police to take strict action against the perpetrators.

Taking to his official X account, CM Saha said: “We strongly condemn the violent attack by Tipra Motha supporters on Shri Abhijit Majumdar (BDO, Salema), Engineer Shri Animesh Saha, and residents of Santirbazar, Dhalai district. Such acts of violence are unacceptable. The administration has been directed to take swift and strict action against those responsible.”

To prevent further escalation, the Dhalai District Magistrate and Collector imposed a curfew for an indefinite period on Thursday night within the Kamalpur Sub-Division.

A police official in Agartala said the violence began when bandh supporters entered the Santirbazar market area in the afternoon to enforce the shutdown. The TCS activists forced shopkeepers and traders to close their shops, and when the businessmen refused to comply, a heated altercation broke out.

Subsequently, a larger group of bandh supporters, who outnumbered the police personnel deployed there, entered the market and allegedly looted several shops, the official said.

As the situation escalated, traders organised a counter-resistance, leading to further clashes and worsening violence. Bandh supporters allegedly set a vehicle on fire inside the market, and when fire-fighters tried to douse the flames, the fire service vehicle was also vandalised.

During the unrest, Kamalpur Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Samudra Debbarma was injured after being hit on the head by a brick. Meanwhile, Salema Block Development Officer (BDO) Abhijit Majumdar was also attacked when he reached the spot.

His vehicle was targeted, and he sustained head injuries. Engineer Animesh Saha was attacked when he went to the market after hearing about the assault on the BDO.

A trader identified as Biplab Deb suffered a serious eye injury after being struck by a brick. All the officials and the trader were rescued by fire service personnel and taken to Kamalpur Bimal Sinha Memorial Hospital for medical treatment.

According to residents, the situation in the area remained tense despite the deployment of huge additional security forces. Dhalai District Magistrate and Collector Vivek H.B., in a notification, imposed the curfew for an indefinite period under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) to prevent danger to human life, public property, and peace.

The order prohibits the assembly of more than four persons, carrying or using weapons or dangerous materials, delivering provocative speeches, sloganeering, or distributing pamphlets inciting hatred. It also restricts the use of rooftops or premises for pelting stones during riots and bans the entry and movement of vehicles in prohibited areas.

Another senior police official said that to enforce the shutdown, picketers carrying national flags organised sit-in demonstrations at over 52 key locations and highways across the state, and at a few places along railway tracks in West Tripura and Khowai districts on Thursday.

–IANS

sc/dan