Agartala, April 16: Tripura Pradesh Congress supporters clashed with security personnel while attempting to break through police barricades during a protest demonstration outside the Enforcement Directorate (ED) office in Agartala on Wednesday.
The agitation was held in response to the chargesheet filed by the ED against senior Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and others in connection with the alleged money laundering case involving the National Herald.
The protest began with a rally from the Panchabati area and proceeded through Airport Road towards the ED office.
As security forces attempted to stop the demonstrators, a scuffle ensued, resulting in chaotic scenes at the protest site.
Prominent Congress leaders including Tripura Pradesh Congress president Asish Kumar Saha, senior MLA and former minister Sudip Roy Barman, MLA Gopal Roy, state Youth Congress president Neel Kamal Saha, and former party president Pijush Kanti Biswas led the protest.
Addressing the gathering after the confrontation, Congress leaders accused the Narendra Modi-led government of misusing central agencies such as the ED, CBI, and Income Tax department to target political opponents.
“The chargesheet against Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi is part of a larger political conspiracy. The BJP government is desperate to silence the voice of the Opposition, especially when leaders like Rahul Gandhi are raising issues concerning common people,” said Saha.
He, along with Barman, asserted that the Congress would not be intimidated by false cases and would continue to protest against the government’s failures on multiple fronts—rising unemployment, inflation, corruption, and the contentious Waqf Amendment Act.
The Congress leaders further alleged that the timing of the ED’s action was politically motivated, aimed at maligning the image of the Gandhi family ahead of elections in states like Gujarat and Bihar.
Drawing parallels with political upheavals in neighbouring countries like Sri Lanka and others, Roy Barman warned that the Indian people would soon rise against what they termed a “fascist regime” run by Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.
Despite the skirmish, the protest concluded without any major injuries or arrests. Congress leaders have vowed to intensify their agitation in the coming days.
