Agartala, June 10 (IANS) The Tripura Police on Monday arrested the father and brother of a Youth Congress leader Shahjahan Islam for his derogatory comments against Chief Minister Manik Saha, state government and other BJP leaders in connection with the celebration of Eid-al-Adha on June 7.

Congress leaders, however, alleged that a group of miscreants backed by BJP attacked the residence of Shahjahan Islam at Shantipara here.

BJP’s state minority morcha President and former Minister Billal Mia filed a complaint against Shahjahan Islam at West Agartala police station for his statement against the Chief Minister on social media.

West Tripura district Superintendent of Police Kiran Kumar K told the media on Monday evening that the arrested duo – Khairul Islam and Najrul Miah – were presented at a local court here on Monday and the court sent them to judicial custody till June 23.

BJP claimed that Khairul Islam and Najrul Miah assaulted the BJP activists when they went to their house to protest Shahjahan Islam’s derogatory comments against CM, state government and party leaders.

Billal Mia claimed that Shahjahan Islam made insulting comments on the Chief Minister and state government on social media.

“Based on this, we filed a complaint demanding his (Shahjahan Islam’s) arrest. On one hand, there has been an attempt to malign the state government and on the other hand, there is conspiracy to create unrest among communities – all are found on his Facebook post,” Billal Miah told the media.

BJP also organised a protest rally on Monday against the Congress youth leader’s offensive comments.

The Youth Congress leader’s comments sparked controversy and several netizens including BJP activists were seen raising demands of action against him.

Tripura state Congress President Asish Kumar Saha alleged that over 100 BJP and Yuva Morcha supporters entered the house of Sahajan Islam at Shantipara late on Sunday night and ransacked the property.

His parents were beaten up and his wife was physically assaulted, Saha told the media. Congress Working Committee member and former Minister Sudip Roy Barman, after visiting Sahajan Islam’s house, also strongly protested the attack on the youth Congress leader’s house.

Former Minister and former state Congress President Birajit Sinha also condemned the incident and stated that this culture of attacking houses should be stopped.

As the tension gripped the locality, where the chief minister’s ancestral house is situated, a huge contingent of security personnel was deployed in the area to prevent any further escalation of the incident.

In his statement to the police, Shahjahan Islam said that he was attacked by “goons” as soon as he returned home from the state Congress office on Sunday night.

He also alleged that the goons, who were purportedly brandishing firearms, wanted to murder him but failed since he had locked himself inside a room and later assaulted his parents and wife.

–IANS

sc/pgh