Tripura Congress strike against govt failure to remove IPFT blockade evokes mix response

Agartala: A dawn-to-dusk bandh called by Opposition Congress to protest against the government’s ‘failure’ to remove the indefinite road and railway blockade by Indigenous People’s Front Tripura (IPFT) has evoked a mixed response. [caption id=“attachment_3817177” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Indigeneous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT) members protesting in demand of separate statehood. PTI[/caption] Vehicles did not ply on the roads, shops and markets remained closed. Schools, colleges, banks and financial institutions also remained closed. On the other hand, attendance in the Civil Secretariat and other offices were almost normal, official sources said. There was a scuffle between the police and the bandh supporters in front of the Civil Secretariat after Congress supporters headed by PCC president Birajit Sinha staged a demonstration in support of the bandh. “The bandh was called to protest against the blockade of the national highway by IPFT. The blockade entered the tenth day on Wednesday,” Tripura Pradesh Congress President, Birajit Sinha said. The state government remained silent about the blockade and did not take any step to remove the blockade. The BJP has hatched a conspiracy to divide the state by helping IPFT," Sinha said. The police did not allow the picketers to stay in front of the Civil Secretariat for a long time and arrested around 25 Congress supporters around 10 am. “Around 25 picketers were arrested and no untoward incidents took place during the bandh,” DIG (Range) Arindam Nath told reporters. The IPFT began the blockade for an indefinite period demanding a separate state by carving out the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC). It constitutes two third of the state’s territory. Meanwhile, Governor Tathagata Roy expressed his concern about the blockade. “Sufferings of people reached an intolerable situation in the state,” a press statement issued from the Raj Bhavan said on Tuesday night. He appealed to IPFT to call off the blockade immediately and assured that he would ventilate their statements to the authorities concerned for consideration. No response from the IPFT was available regarding the blockade till last reports came in.