Agartala, January 10: Political tensions escalated in Tripura on Saturday following incidents of violence and arson in Fatikroy under the Kumarghat subdivision of Unakoti district, with the opposition CPI(M) and Congress sharply criticising the BJP-led government over law and order, while the ruling party dismissed the allegations as politically motivated.
Leader of Opposition and CPI(M) state secretary Jitendra Chaudhury and Tripura Pradesh Congress president and former MLA Asish Kumar Saha alleged that members of the minority community were targeted during the violence. They claimed that several shops, business establishments, and a place of worship were vandalised and set on fire. The opposition pointed out that the incident occurred just 48 hours after Director General of Police Anurag Dhankar stated that law and order in Tripura had significantly improved in 2025, with crime rates at a two-decade low.
Terming the incident a “backlash of hatred politics,” opposition leaders alleged that the violence exposed what they called the BJP government’s “false narrative” on law and order. They further claimed that some of those involved had links to the ruling party and accused the administration of failing to take strict action in similar past incidents, which they said emboldened miscreants.
Following the unrest, the district administration imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) in sensitive areas. Mobile internet services were suspended, while senior officials, including the District Magistrate and Superintendent of Police, rushed to the spot. Fire and Emergency Services controlled the blaze, and police conducted flag marches with heavy deployment of security forces. At least eight persons were preventively arrested, and several others detained for questioning, police sources said.
Rejecting the opposition’s claims, BJP state president and Rajya Sabha MP Rajib Bhattacharjee denied that the incident was communal in nature. He accused the CPI(M) and Congress of deliberately giving a religious colour to defame the BJP’s “double-engine government” led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha. Bhattacharjee said the administration acted swiftly to restore normalcy and maintained that the situation in Fatikroy had returned to normal, even as security forces continue to keep a close watch to prevent further incidents.
