Police launches brutal assault, 65 injured

Agartala, Jul 10, 2011 : At least 65 persons including 11 journalists were injured when police and TSR resorted to brutal lathi charge in the premier academic institution of the state MBB College campus on Sunday noon. Among the injured were also people's representatives belonging to opposition Congress and journalists who had gone there to discharge their duties. They had beaten despite displaying their identity.

The assault took place when the opposition Congress led by all senior party leaders -opposition leader Ratan Lal Nath, former PCC president Gopal Roy and others- went to 'appeal' the guardians and students not to sit for the Common Entrance Test (CET) in Tripura Medical College. The opposition was protesting against the government decision to give away 30 seats to out side states in addition to 15 seats to Central Pool and demanding higher fee charge for the TMC. They say the govt is running the TMC under the name of a society and as such they can their own decision.

In view of the tension and prevailing aggressive attitude of the opposition, state government left not stone unturned and virtually fortified the entire city today with massive security blanket thrown with CRPF and elite TSR. DGP K Saleem Ali held a press conference yesterday saying that 144 CrPc had been clamped and movement would be restricted.

However, the day broke with apprehension as students and guardians aspiring for medical study were uncertain about the examinations. The Test started in MBB College in peacefully but at noon the situation went out of control as Congress leaders and about4000 activists sought to throng the picturesque MBB College campus. It was then the police 'arrested' the leaders for violating 144 CrPc.

"But when we were arrested and taken to Dhaleshwar School, we were lathi charged. Police cannot lathi charge arrested people. It was then all were injured", said Opposition leader Ratan Lal Nath in a press conference.

The lathi charge was committed under direct order from the SP West Anees Prasad', he said.

"This was a barbaric assault and never heard in the state's politics. We shall organize bigger agitation. This Left Front government loses all moral right and authority to continue in the office", said Ratan Chakrabarty, Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) spokesman.

The Congress demanded Judicial probe into the incident and held Chief Minister Manik Sarkar directly responsible for the assault.

Meantime the journalists and all editors met DGP K S Ali and expressed their serious concern and reservation at the way police acted and assaulted severely the journalists despite showing their IDs. The editors and journalists demanded immediate suspension of the SP West Anees Prasad, East Agartala Police station OC Narayan Saha and MBBB College Out Post OC Jehangir Hussain and gave 24 hours to the DGP for action or they would go for larger agitation programme.

Meantime official sources said, more than 98 percent aspiring students appeared today in the exams where Commissioner of Health Department SK Roy , Director Health SR Debbarma and advisory committee chairman of the TMC retired HC justice P K Sarkar remained all along present.

"Total 497 forms were distributed and among them 488 students appeared in the examinations", said a TMC official.

Congress is planning for a bigger agitation but due to Kharchi puja, they stepped short of calling Tripura Bandh , said Ratan Chakrabarty, PCC spokesman.