By IANS,
Agartala: Tripura’s ruling Left Front as well as opposition Congress Tuesday called for a 12-hour shutdown in the state Wednesday following a series of clashes between the police and Congress workers since the last two days.
The Congress has demanded dismissal of the government and promulgation of president’s rule in Tripura, alleging a “breakdown in the law and order situation”.
The Left Front has blamed the Congress for “conspiring against the state government by creating a situation of lawlessness”.
“The state Congress leadership has apprised the (union Home Minister) P. Chidambaram about the deterioration of law and order situation,” opposition leader Ratan Lal Nath told reporters.
“The Left Front government is not only ignoring the genuine demands of the Congress, but also resorted attacks by the police to curb the democratic movements,” Nath said, adding that Chief Minister Manik Sarkar’s “silence was also mysterious”.
The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M)-led Left Front has accused the Congress of trying to “turn the situation into an anarchy like West Bengal” and come to power through the back door.
“Like terrorists, the Congress, with the help of armed criminals, Monday attacked the West Kotowali police station. This shows that they (Congress leaders) have no people’s support. They have opened a black chapter in the state,” CPI-M state secretary Bijon Dhar told reporters.
A 21-year-old youth was killed and 41 people, including 15 policemen, injured here Monday in a clash between the police and Congress workers, who were protesting against baton-charge on party activists Sunday.
“Monday’s clashes between the Congress workers and security forces started when the former attacked the West Kotowali police station and ransacked it,” police spokesman Tushar Kanti Das told reporters.
At least 70 people, including 13 policemen, were injured here Sunday during a clash between the police and Congress workers who were protesting against the entrance test of a local medical college, alleging that the state adopted discriminatory policies towards the state’s students.
The Common Entrance Test (CET) for admission to MBBS and B.Sc nursing courses in the Tripura Medical College (TMC) was held Sunday at the Maharaja Bir Bikram (MBB) College here.
The Tripura government has ordered a magisterial inquiry into Monday’s incident.