Journalist killing: Bandh in Tripura by BJP, Cong; 11 injured

A bandh called by the opposition BJP and the Congress today to protest against the killing of a journalist allegedly by a constable of the Tripura State Rifle and saw clashes in which 11 workers of different political parties were injured, police said.

Shops and markets were closed and vehicles were off the roads in the state in view of the bandh, they said.

Schools, colleges, banks and financial institutions remained closed and attendance was poor in the government offices, the police said.

Superintendent of police (police control) Harkumar Debbarma said of the 11 injured workers six were of the BJP, three of the Congress and the rest two of the ruling CPI-M.
 

He said, seven were injured at Pratapgarh here in a clash between the CPI-M supporters and those of the BJP and the Congress with the ruling CPI-M supporters.

Of the seven injured, three belonged to the Congress, and two each from the BJP and ruling CPI-M, he said.

He said another three BJP supporters were injured in a clash with the CPI-M supporters at Boxanagar in Sipahijala district and one BJP supporter was injured at Kukicherra in south Tripura district.

A vehicle carrying a patient was damaged by the BJP supporters at Nalua in South Tripura district, the SP said.

The BJP called a dawn-to-dusk bandh demanding a CBI inquiry and resignation of Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, while the Congress called a 24-hour bandh in support of investigation by the CBI into the killing of Sudip Datta Bhaumick, a reporter of a Bengali daily 'Syandan Patrika'.

Sudip Datta Bhaumik, working with Bengali newspaper 'Syandan Patrika, was gunned down on Tuesday following an altercation with the TSR constable.

Bhaumik was gunned down inside the headquarters of the 2nd battalion of the TSR at R K Nagar, West Tripura superintendent of Police (SP) Abhijit Saptarshi had said.

Barring 'Daily Desher Katha', the mouthpiece of the ruling CPI-M, all other newspapers left their editorial columns blank today in protest against the killing.

The decision on this was taken during a meeting among editors held here yesterday, Subal Kumar Dey, editor of 'Syandan Patrika', where the slain journalist, worked told reporters.

Television channels also displayed a picture of the journalist every hour, Pranab Sarkar, Secretary of Tripura Journalists Union, said.

President of the state unit of BJP Biplab Deb said, "Though the party is against the politics of bandh this time we are helpless because two journalists have been killed in the state within two months."

On September 20, Santanu Bhowmick was killed at Mandai in West Tripura district when he went to cover an agitation by the Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (IPFT).

The ruling CPI-M opposed the bandhs saying the opposition parties were politicising the killing of the journalists even though the state government had taken prompt action.

A three-member special investigation team (SIT) headed by Deputy inspector general (southern range) Arindam Nath was formed yesterday to investigate the killing, the state government said in a statement.