TMC MPs meet Amit Shah in New Delhi on police violence in Tripura

A delegation of TMC MPs met Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday alleging police violence in Tripura. The legislators who were sitting on a dharna outside the Ministry of Home Affairs since Monday morning were given an appointment to meet Shah in the afternoon. “We told him in detail how leaders were being arrested and MPs being beaten up. He told us that he had spoken to the Tripura CM on phone yesterday and assured us that he would seek a report from the state,” TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee. Sukhendu Sekhar Roy, Santanu Sen, Kalyan Banerjee, Derek O’Brien, Mala Roy 11 other MPs were part of the delegation that met Shah. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who is scheduled to land in Delhi in the evening is also planning to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue. Hitting out at Shah, the TMC chief said the Union home minister “is yet to show courtesy” and meet the TMC MPs who have been seeking an audience with him over the violence in Tripura. “During my visit to Delhi, I will be meeting the prime minister. Apart from various state-related matters, I will be raising issues concerning the enhancement of BSF jurisdiction as well as the Tripura violence,” she told reporters before leaving for Delhi. Banerjee wondered why the human rights commission was “not taking a note” of the ongoing use of brute force in the northeastern state. “The chief minister of Tripura (Biplab Deb) and his government are defying the SC’s directive. They have to reply to common people. I will appeal to the higher judiciary to act against his government as per law,” she said. The Tripura Police on Sunday arrested actor-turned TMC leader Sayani Ghosh on the charge of attempt to murder after she allegedly disrupted a meeting of Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb by shouting “Khela hobe” (we will play) on Saturday night. Ghosh was arrested after being called in for questioning in a police station in Agartala, a police official had said. The Supreme Court recently directed the Tripura Police to ensure that no political party is prevented from exercising its rights in accordance with the law for campaigning in a peaceful manner. The TMC has repeatedly alleged that its candidates were being prevented from campaigning by the ruling BJP supporters there.