Trinamool Congress MP Sushmita Dev’s car was vandalised by some people in Tripura today. Some employees of a private firm that is helping Ms Dev’s party in political campaigns were injured in the attack. Ms Dev, who is overseeing the Trinamool Congress’s activities in Tripura, alleged the BJP was behind the attack. Ms Dev was with employees of Indian Political Action Committee or I-PAC, a political public relations and consultancy firm, when the attack happened. Political strategist Prashant Kishor and I-PAC had worked with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s party for the West Bengal assembly election earlier this year.
TMC MP Sushmita Dev, who is spearheading the party’s campaign for 2023 assembly polls, had launched the campaign called ‘ Tripurar Jonno Trinamool’ and was travelling around the state campaigning in her car along with other members. The party and TMC MP alleged that the attack was carried out by the BJP workers in the state.
Speaking to reporters, TMC MP Susmita Dev said, “I made an appeal to the people to stand by TMC. Sone goons came, broke our cars, beat our workers and assaulted us while also smashing our bags. Blatant criminal acts are happening.”
In a complaint at the Amtali police station, the Trinamool leaders alleged that their car was damaged when the BJP workers attacked them during an outreach programme. While Dev was injured, mobile and other valuables of the accompanying TMC workers were looted by the attackers, a party statement said.
Condemning the incident, Trinamools General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee tweeted: "Under @Bjp Biplabs #Duare GundaRaj, attack on political opponents is setting new records! Physically manhandling a sitting female Rajya Sabha MP, @SushmitaDevAITC is beyond shameful & political terrorism by @BJP4Tripura goons !The time is near. People of Tripura will answer !”
Announcing the partys first mega event in Tripura, Dev and the states steering committee convener Subal Bhowmik told the media on Thursday that through the Tripurar Jonno Trinamool` programme, party leaders would reach out to the people at the grassroots level across the state.
She said that covering eight districts, 58 blocks and 20 urban local bodies of Tripura, the party leaders would interact with the people and listen to their issues arising out of the miss-governance of the BJP.
