Agartala: Tripura Autonomous District Council’s ruling party, TIPRA Motha, has called a 12-hour bandh in the Kamalpur sub-division of the Dhalai district on Monday, demanding the arrest of the man accused in the murder of its leader Pranajit Namashudra.
Pranajit was killed on January 18, soon after the announcement of the state’s Assembly election schedule.
Police have arrested four people in the area for alleged involvement in the crime, but the main suspect remains at large. Although Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Kiran Gitte claimed that the murder had no political or party affiliation, TIPRA Motha claimed Pranajit was murdered by “goons” loyal to the state’s ruling BJP because he was a popular leader in the Surma constituency.
“Pranajit’s killing after the election was declared shows the law-and-order situation. The ruling party wanted to send a message of violence during the poll to the opposition parties through the murder, and police in four days couldn’t arrest the main criminal,” alleged Mary Debbarma, a senior Motha leader.
She further alleged that when the funeral procession was organised to take the dead body from Dhalai district hospital to Kamalpur, it was prevented by the administration without any valid ground. Many Motha workers were injured in a scuffle with the officials.
“Even today the officials are not allowing us to hold any silent procession protesting the murder and seeking justice. Therefore, it has been decided that a dawn-to-dusk general strike will be observed in the entire Kamalpur sub-division on Monday to press for our demand to arrest the main culprits and conduct an investigation impartially.” Debbarma stated.
Pranajit Namashudra was killed in the middle of the road in Bamanchhara village under the Kamalpur sub-division with sharp weapons.
