Agartala, June 9:
A day after the residence of Tripura Youth Congress leader Shahjahan Miah came under attack following his controversial live video criticising the state government, Chief Minister Manik Saha and police over their alleged silence on communal tensions linked to cow slaughter during Eid celebrations in Udaipur, the BJP’s youth wing, Yuba Morcha, on Monday escalated its pressure by holding a protest rally in Agartala demanding his immediate arrest.
Yuba Morcha supporters, led by BJP youth leader Ashim Bhattacharjee, accused Shahjahan Miah of making derogatory and communal remarks during his social media live session.
Bhattacharjee, also BJP Sadar District president condemned the video, claiming that Miah’s statements against Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha and the Tripura Police were not only defamatory but also capable of inciting communal disharmony in the state.
“We have filed a police complaint demanding Shahjahan’s arrest. Such hate speech cannot be tolerated. Shockingly, some Congress leaders are openly supporting him,” Bhattacharjee told reporters at the rally.
Referring to Sunday night’s incident, Bhattacharjee admitted that BJP karyakartas had gathered near Shahjahan Miah’s residence in Agartala’s Shantipara area to express outrage over the video. “We instructed them to disperse peacefully to prevent any untoward incident. However, two of our BJP supporters were injured after being allegedly attacked by Shahjahan’s family members. A police complaint has already been lodged in this regard,” he added.
The protest comes in the backdrop of rising political tension since the Udaipur incident, where the open slaughter of a cow during Eid had sparked controversy and protests by Hindu groups.
Shahjahan Miah had publicly criticised the government’s handling of the situation, which drew sharp reactions from the ruling BJP.
Meantime, the Tripura Pradesh Congress came down heavily on the state government and Chief Minister Manik Saha after the residence of Youth Congress leader raising concerns over the detroritiating law and order in the state and attacks on opposition for criticizing the government.
