By Firstdespatch Desk Apr 13, 2025
Agartala, April 13 (FD) At least 19 police personnel, including a senior police official were injured and a fire tender was blocked as protest rallies in two places demanding rollback of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, which turned violent in Tripura’s two districts – Sepahijala and Unakoti on Saturday, police said here on Sunday.
Sub-divisional Police Officer (SDPO) of Kailashahar, Jayanta Karmakar and 17 other police officials were injured at the Kubjar area and eight agitators were arrested for their involvement on the police personnel.
The agitators were demanding rolling back of the Waqf act and organised a massive rally of more than 4000 people under the banner of
the ‘Joint Movement Committee’ headed by district President of the opposition Congress of Unakoti, Badarujjaman.
When the rally was proceeding towards the Kailashar town, police deployed a barricade near Kubjar area, but the agitators could manage to break the barricade and proceeded towards the town.
When they proceeded further police also resisted and as a result of which a scuffle ensued in which 18 police personnel including SDPO, Jayanta Karmakar were injured, Officer-in-charge of Kailashahar police station, Sukanta SenChowdhury told reporters.
He said, police then resorted to lathi charge and busted tear gas shells to disperse the move.
Police lodged an FIR over the attack on police and eight agitators, who were involved in the incidents of attacks, were arrested, the
police official said.
However, Badarujjaman, the leader of the movement alleged that police resorted to lathi charge and burst tear gas shells without any
provocation and they would further launch their movements for rolling back the Wakf act, as amended in the parliament recently.
The Joint Action Committee organised a meeting at Baburbazar in Kailashar today to review the situation and alleged ‘torture’ by
police on the agitators.
Meanwhile, in a separate incident at Sonamura Sub-division in Sipahijala District the agitators yesterday pelted stones at a fire
tender and injured the driver, Pankaj Debnath, when he was moving towards the place of movement.
The agitators also blocked the road so that the fire tender could not go ahead. Later the fire tender retreated to its office. FD JK