Tension gripped the Nagerjala bus stand area of Agartala on Wednesday following an alleged assault on the secretary of the West Tripura unit of the BMS-affiliated All Tripura Auto-rickshaw Mazdoor Sangh.
According to local residents and auto-rickshaw workers, a dispute had been brewing among members of the transport workers’ community for several days. Some workers alleged that Liton Kar and a few associates were involved in extortion and other anti-social activities under the banner of the organization. The situation reportedly worsened after an elderly worker was allegedly pushed during an altercation on Tuesday, sparking resentment among a section of workers.
On Wednesday morning, tensions escalated when the gate at the Nagerjala auto-rickshaw stand area was allegedly kept closed, disrupting normal vehicular movement and causing inconvenience to commuters. A heated confrontation followed, during which agitated workers allegedly attacked Liton Kar, secretary of the West Tripura unit of the BMS-affiliated All Tripura Auto-rickshaw Mazdoor Sangh, leading to chaos and panic in the area.
Liton Kar, however, strongly denied all allegations against him. He claimed that he was assaulted without provocation and alleged that the attack was orchestrated under the leadership of Agartala Municipal Corporation (AMC) councilor Abhijit Mallick and his Yuva Morcha activists.
The incident created panic among passengers and local residents, prompting police to rush to the spot. Security personnel brought the situation under control and shifted the injured BMS leader to a hospital for medical treatment.
Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) has strongly condemned the attack and demanded the immediate arrest of AMC councillor Abhijit Mallick and others allegedly involved in the incident. A delegation of BMS leaders submitted a memorandum to the Superintendent of Police SP) of West Tripura district, seeking a thorough investigation into the matter and strict legal action against those responsible.
The organization alleged that Abhijit Mallick and his associates were the masterminds behind the assault and urged the police administration to take prompt steps to ensure justice and prevent further unrest.
Police have initiated an inquiry into the incident. Demands have also been raised from various quarters for a fair and impartial investigation to establish the facts surrounding the clash and verify the allegations made by both sides.